Young Justice: Darkness Falls
by Angelus-v1
Summary: My Version of a third season. Following the events of the Reach's invasion, The Team is faced with another incoming threat worse than any they have faced before. New faces join their ranks as others seek to destroy or enslave them while the last members of The Light cast its shadow over the Earth in its continued attempt to rid the world of its heroes. Violence.
1. Part 1: New Addition - Chapter 1

**AN: This is my take on a third season to a show that should have been renewed. I will do my best to keep with what the show has done but will add some changes to character origins and powers, kinda like what they did in the show with Garfield, Conner, and a few others but it (hopefully) won't be too out there for the fans of the series. This will also work as a sort of sequel to my earlier story collection 'Breather' and will take some happenings from there since each chapter occurred between the episodes, so any newbies may want to take a look at that one so parts of this can make sense. So, without further ado, please enjoy.**

**Young Justice: Darkness Falls**

**By: Angelus-V1**

**Part 1: New Addition**

**1.**

Watchtower

July 5, 05:16 UTC

For the past few hours, the space station known as the Watchtower, once secret base to the Justice League and now known to the residents of Earth, has been quiet with most of the world's protectors having left for home or being deployed on a mission. The only exception to this were two of the members from the League's black ops force known as 'The Team' who were on monitor duty, providing the only break to the silence with the occasional small talk or issuing of orders.

Currently, Batgirl was at the helm of three large computer monitors with a large curved holographic table in front of her. Two keyboards were situated before her to relay messages to Beta and Gamma teams as they carried out their assigned missions with a display of an overhead view of the cities they were in showing their positions on two of the screens. The third screen, which took the top position was reserved for Alpha team and had a video feed of the interior of M'gann's bio ship.

"Alright, all squads are looking good," Batgirl said as her fingers nimbly moved over the keyboards. Years of being a partner to both Batman and Nightwing have taught her how to work several computers at once, an advantage if she were required to hack into several databases simultaneously.

"Tigress, what does your team's time look like?" Aqualad asked over their secure channel.

"Okay for the moment," came Tigress' voice from the left side monitor. "Lex had a few extra traps that were not expected but we managed to get around them. Bumblebee's already hacking into the computer server from his main office and Kid Flash is skimming through his paper files."

"Estimated time until you're done?"

"Um, give us about another three, four minutes to download everything. Bee's having a time getting past the firewalls."

"Roger that. If you need any assistance let us know. Keep in contact."

Moving to the second monitor, Batgirl brought up a schematic of one of Lex Corp Farm's main factories in Smallville. There, Gamma team was investigating the rebuilding of the plant and what further secrets Lex was keeping that were not in the plans. Their mission was to find clues on what Vandal Savage was now planning as well as his whereabouts, which led them to their current position.

"Batgirl to Gamma, come in."

"Gamma here," Robin answered. I've just moved in with Static to investigate the ground floor of the facility and have picked up residual Boom Tube energy. I sent Lagoon Boy to the nearest lake to get samples of the water in case there's any dumping going on. Wonder Girl's our backup and is taking position in the nearby cornfield."

Coming up behind Batgirl, Aqualad placed a hand on her shoulder. "Tell Lagoon Boy to be careful when he goes in the water and to not jump the gun. He still has a lot to learn on patience and trust as well as what it means to work on a team."

As Batgirl relayed their leader's message, Aqualad looked upon the only screen with nothing but an empty room on it. Pulling up a holographic keyboard of his own, he brought up the bio ship's com system and called for the three members making up Alpha Squad. When they didn't answer, he tried raising them again until M'gann came on screen with Garfield close behind her.

"Um, we're here, Kal…Aqualad," the Martian said as she wiped her eyes. "We just needed a minute."

"Is everything alright? You are about out of the Watchtower's communication field and I need to make sure everything is going smoothly." By this time, Conner came on screen and sat down with a bottled water in hand.

"Everything's fine, Aqualad. Like I said, we just all needed a moment.

Seeing the puffiness around her eyes and how Garfield was wiping at his, he knew what their momentary disappearance was about. Even though Conner wasn't one to show his feelings like the others, Kaldur knew from his body language he too was still mourning the fallen Wally West. "Understood. The moment you get beyond the moon, communication will cease. So stay in touch until then."

"Copy that. Alpha team, out."

With everything going smoothly for the time being, Batgirl stepped back from her position and looked at the team leader. "So be honest, how does it feel to be back in the saddle again?"

"To be perfectly honest," Aqualad answered as he crossed his arms, "I was not expecting this position to have been given back to me so quickly. I was sure Nightwing would stay in command for a time, or at the very least, take charge of half the team."

"You do know why he put you back in command right? He said he isn't exactly cut out to be team leader after all he's been through and the decisions he's had to make."

"Do you have any idea where it is he was headed off to?"

"None whatsoever, he doesn't really talk to me all that much."

"If you do not mind my asking, why are you two so distant despite being under the tutelage of Batman and partners?"

"Story for another day, boss man. Story for another day."

Lex Corp

July 5, 05:21 UTC

"Okay, download almost complete. Just another minute or two," announced Bumblebee as she sat back in Lex's extravagant leather chair.

"Good, because I'm having a really bad feeling about this." Tigress, with the aid of a small rectangular computer screen, kept her eye out for anyone looking to interrupt the trio. Before anything was started on their end, she had planted two button sized cameras in the hallway to monitor the presence of any late night workers. "I haven't seen anyone, not even a janitor and it's giving me the feeling like we were expected to be here."

"Well if we were, I would so totally be enjoying the view," the new Kid Flash said as he stood before the large windowed wall overlooking Metropolis. "Hey, how much do you think he spends on carpeting in this office alone?"

"Not really a good time for financial discussions," Bumblebee said. "Jump drive is just about done…and…fini…wait, I didn't see this file before."

Bringing up a file marked 'PKR16' the insect themed heroine quickly browsed through the folder's files until settling on a familiar word.

"Hey, Tigress, isn't Superboy a type of genomorph?"

Without taking her eyes off the screen she was using, the blonde answered, "Uh, I think I heard Wally say that about him at one point. Why?"

"Well because, this file has stages for a genomorph codenamed Project Kr"

"That's Conner alright." Leaving her position beside the door, Tigress went to look at what Bumblebee had found but also kept an eye on the small screen she carried. "What does it say about him?"

"Well, it has files on three stages of his development. The first stage looks to be when he was cloned and force-grown. The second looks to be the unlocking of some of his Kryptonian powers. Strength, invulnerability, micro and infrared vision, and hearing. It was all they could unlock naturally."

"Does it have anything about something called Shields?"

"Let me check." Letting her fingers fly over the keyboard, Bumblebee searched high and low for what her partner asked. "No. Not here at least. But it does have what the third stage was before his, 'liberation', as it puts it."

"So, what was the big guy gonna get this time?" Kid Flash asked as he zipped over to the two.

"I can't tell. There's so much to cycle through," Bumblebee told him. "I have to save all this and go through it with Batgirl later."

Just then, Tigress' earpiece came to life with Guardian's voice. "Guardian to Tigress, come in Tigress. Over."

"Tigress here. What's the situation?"

"You need to get out now. It looks like Lex's limo just pulled into the building. He didn't stay out for long."

"Roger that. Bee, how much more time do you need?"

"I need about another forty five seconds," Bumblebee informed her.

"Kid Flash, head on up to the roof and make sure our way out is still secured. I'll stay with Bumblebee till she's done."

"Gotcha'." Faster than either girl could blink, Kid Flash shot out of the office and into the air ducts to get back to the roof.

"And that does it. Now to just shut the computer down aaaaaannnnnndddddd…there. Let's go." Shrinking down to her much smaller size, Bumblebee flew into the air duct with Tigress close behind.

Once back on the roof, Guardian signaled for the three to make their way back to the rendezvous point. Kid Flash ran down the building, across the street, and up the opposite building, arriving beside Guardian faster than Bumblebee could. Tigress got out her pully device and slung it around the cable she used to get to the roof of Lex Corp. A small rocket on top of the device fired and propelled her forward at a high rate of speed. Once on the other side, she pressed a switch on the cable's mount and waited for it to retract back to her.

"Okay, mission accomplished," Tigress told the others as Sphere came flying over to them in her super cycle mode. "Let's get back to the Zeta Tube and to the Watchtower."

As the group of infiltrators took off on the sentient cycle, none knew they were being watched closely by the owner of the building, Lex Luther himself. Sitting back in his leather chair, he monitored the entire episode from his private panic room via a large HD monitor mounted to the wall. Pulling out a keyboard from a large redwood desk in front of him, he pulled up everything the young heroes downloaded and copied.

"Children," he said with a sly smile, "when will you all learn, I control what you see and do?" He then relocated the files he wished for them to find back to their original places and shut his computer down.

Smallville

July 5, 06:59 UTC

It was a very peaceful night in the farm town of Smallville. Crickets made their high-pitched buzzing songs, the wind swept through the tall stalks of corn, and the stars were shining brightly overhead. All in all, Wonder Girl was board.

The protégé of Wonder Woman knew this was going to happen when she was told to stay hidden and provide backup if needed, but didn't anticipate it taking this long. According to Robin's wrist mounted computer, to which they all synched their watches to, dawn was only twenty three minutes away. It was a fact that made her anxious to get out of there or move in and bust some heads, but she knew she had to stay in her position should she be called. She was actually so intent on making sure she was the perfect choice for back up, she neglected to see a gray and black snake slither towards her.

Keeping her eyes and ears out for any sign of trouble, she stayed in a kneeling position with one hand on the ground. Hearing a rustle to her left, she turned to attempt to get a better view through the stalks when she felt the scaly body of the snake slide across her fingers. The sudden realization of the reptile made her eyes grow wide and forced her to jump back while making something akin to a yelp.

As she fell backwards, a few stalks of corn separated and out stepped Lagoon Boy who was also startled by the Amazon's fright. He fell backwards as the fins on his face popped out more and in turn, made Wonder Girl yelp in fright at his face. He then let out another yelp when they both realized there was nothing to be afraid of.

"Neptune's beard, you scared me," Lagoon Boy said as he gripped his chest. "What were you doing?"

"Waiting for the others when a snake crawled on my hand." Standing and shaking from the feel of the reptile Wonder Girl added, "Ugh, I hate slimy things."

"Gee, thanks."

"I just do."

"Hey," came Robin's voice. "What's going on over here? This is a stealth mission, keyword, stealth."

Meeting up with the other two, Robin and Static looked both of their frazzled teammates over.

"She got scared by a snake," Lagoon Boy explained.

"Snake, where's the snake?" Static asked as he moved rather quickly away from his spot.

"Oh for Pete's sake." Bending down, Robin picked up the terror of the cornfield and gave it a look over. "It's a harmless Prairie Kingsnake. It's not even poisonous."

"I don't care," Wonder Girl said.

"Just get rid of it," Static added.

Setting it down with a chuckle, Robin looked his team over. "You're superheroes with actual super powers. And Wonder Girl, if it bit you it would have broken its teeth."

"I don't care," she repeated. "I just don't like slimy or scaly things."

Shaking his head, Robin let out a sigh. "You're lucky I like you. Now let's get back to the Kent farm and to the Zeta Tube the League just had put in their barn. We found two underground floors only accessible with Boom Tube and traces of someone using them to get in and out. Maybe Savage, maybe not, but it's a lead. We just need to report back to the Tower and see where this fits in with his hijacking War World and taking it to Rimbor."

Taking off before the sun could rise, the group made their way through the corn field as quick as they could to meet back up with Blue Beetle at the barn.

"Seriously, I can't believe you two are afraid of a little snake," Lagoon Boy said as they began to make their way through the cornfield. "Couple of cowards."

"Hey, fishboy," Static said as he ran beside him. "Don't make me call out He Who Walks Behind the Rows."

The three noticed Lagoon Boy looking around more and running a tad bit faster after that.

Bio Ship

July 5, 09:30 UTC

For the last ten minutes, Conner had moved to the cargo area of the ship. Nine hours being cramped up in the Martian space machine was making him restless. Unlike the past trips he took with M'gann to her home planet, this one seemed to go much slower despite traveling at the same speed as always. The first two hours went by too fast for his taste as Garfield got a lesson on piloting the vessel and took the opportunity to have it perform barrel rolls, loops, and spins. It was exciting having the young boy live out his sci-fi fantasies until they got past the moon and M'gann had to put the ship on autopilot for safety reasons.

After using one of the shelves in the back to help stretch his arms out, he rotated his neck and headed back to his seat. By now he had worked out the cramp trying to settle into his left leg as his heavy footsteps echoed throughout the ship.

"Conner," M'gann whispered, drawing his attention to where she stood at the front of the ship. "Can you be a little quieter, please? Gar's asleep."

Looking at the chair the boy occupied, he saw him slumping in his seat with his arms hanging loosely and legs stretched out as he snoozed.

"S…sorry." Taking more careful steps, the hybrid made his way over to his seat and once again sat down when he felt an all too familiar nudge at his mind.

It had taken him some time to bring himself to trust her enough to let her back in after she tried to make him forget why he was angry at her so many months ago, but slowly, he found himself just wanting to feel her presence in his mind more and more. It was a feeling they had come to appreciate at the beginning when it was just the two of them in their old home, Mount Justice. Since then, it became something more as they pursued a relationship, the happy Martian and the Brooding clone. It was a way to be intimate with each other when they couldn't be physical in the moment.

"_Yes?_" Conner answered mentally. Before, he had let her in freely, now she made sure it was okay to enter his mind and despite what she had done, he more than wanted to open up that part of himself completely to her again, just not yet.

"_Would you like for me to dim the lights?_" M'gann asked. "_It would be easier to fall asleep until we get there._"

"_If you don't mind._"

With a mental command from the Martian pilot, the overhead lights dimmed until it was just visible in the ship. The lack of light had another effect on them as they instantly remembered what they would do on the long trip to and from Mars when they were still in a romantic relationship but now, they were back to square one.

"_Mind if I ask you something?_" M"gann asked.

"_Go ahead._" He uncapped his drink and took a sip.

"_Back at Watchtower, when you mentioned having the courage to…you know._"

"_I just thought they had the right frame of mind. What Artemis and Wally had…it's hard to come by._"

"_Same could be said about what we had._"

Looking up at her, he nodded. "_You told me on Rimbor it was your fault what happened between us. It wasn't all your fault. I should have stayed and worked it out with you instead of running. It was just…with everything Cadmus and Luther's done to me…it was just easier to leave than work it out._"

"_Conner,_" she walked over beside him, "_if you really believe that, then please believe when I tell you the reason why I tried to make you forget was because I never wanted to lose you. We were still learning about being in a relationship and I didn't know how to, well…I just let my powers get the best of me. I should have stopped and listened to you, stopped for you. And instead, I messed everything up._"

"_But what about-_"

"_Rebound guy. We never got close to what you and I did. I'm…actually surprised you and Wendy never…I was certain you two were-_"

"_Well, Wendy really isn't my type._" He reached out and took hold of her hand. "_I like my girls green…or white._"

The two shared a smile in the moment as the bio ship continued on its course, not knowing a certain monkey boy had his eye partially open with a grin on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

Mars

July 5, 22:42 UTC

All had been quiet inside the bio ship as the three team members slept with the lights dimmed. Garfield took the form of a bloodhound and was currently curled up on one of the left side chairs. From time to time, his ears twitched at the sounds of M'gann or Conner shifting in their seats. The Martian girl was asleep next to the Kryptonian and was still holding his hand as he slumped in his chair with his head close enough to hers to cause their hair to entwine.

The majority of the trip was spent with small talk between them and the occasional check in with B'arzz. He was quite adamant about the team seeing the problem first hand and was keeping the major details extremely close to the vest. All they were told was a problem had risen on Mars and help was greatly needed. That was seven hours ago, now it was just a matter of something else they had to deal with.

As the ship made its final approach to the planet, the lights inside its hull brightened slowly as an echoing hum sounded to wake those inside. M'gann was the first one awake, rubbing her tired eyes and stretching to relieve her muscles of stiffness. She let a smile overtake her face as she remembered how she and Conner fell asleep holding hands. They still had a ways to go to get back to where they were, but this was a start. Seeing where the ship was heading to, she gently lay his hand on his chest and flew over to the pilot's chair where she took manual control of the ship as the chair next to his receded back into the living ship. Once back at the controls, she guided it to the part of Mars she was most familiar with, which was also close to where B'arzz was waiting.

"_Conner, Gar, wake up. We're here,_" she mentally told them.

Without needing to be told twice, Garfield's head sprang up before he hopped down from the chair. After a quick shake, he morphed back into his preferred form, a monkey/human hybrid, and ran over to the window.

The red planet was not what Garfield expected it to be, he actually expected to see cities, flying ships, and countless Martians like his blood sister walking about on the surface. Needless to say, he was disappointed to find a lifeless, rocky planet instead of a utopia he had been imagining all this time, even though he had heard the stories of her life there before.

"Hey, wait a minute," Garfield said as he turned away from the window. "I just thought of something, how are we gonna breathe when we land? We don't have any space suits or helmets."

"Don't need any, Gar," Conner said as he stretched in his chair and stood. "The atmosphere below ground is similar to Earth's and they have suits for our use if we need to go on the surface. Just try not to overexert yourself."

"Why?"

"Martians breathe less oxygen than we do. Just take it easy until you get used to it."

"How many times have you been here, Conner?" Garfield asked as he resumed looking out the window.

After popping his back and rolling his shoulders, the Kryptonian joined him at the window. "Counting today, about sixteen times I think."

"Okay, guys," M'gann interrupted, "we're almost ready to land so get back to your seats and buckle yourselves in for safety."

"Spoken like a true mom," Garfield said quietly to Conner as he made a mocking face.

"Heard and saw that, Gar," M'gann told him as she stuck her tongue at the youth.

Taking a large curve, the ship made its final approach to a plateau standing some hundred feet in the air. A wide mouth opened as part of the stone structure receded back and separated down the middle. As the ship flew closer, the three could see the hollowed out inside of the would-be mountain as humanoid Martian men and women went about their routines. Bright lights illuminated the inside of the plateau hanger as an elevated landing pad rose into place, indicating where M'gann should land.

"This is so cool!" Garfield stated once again since seeing the plateau open up.

Feeling the gentle touchdown of the ship, the three stayed seated as the landing pad made a sudden jolt before lowering underground and rotating to face the opposite way. It didn't take long for the quick trip to come to a stop as a brightly lit cavern came into view. Dozens of rock columns stretched from the floor to the ceiling as hundreds, maybe thousands of ships rested in their own private hangers. Once again, the landing pad moved and took the team's ship to the nearest available hanger where it docked. A red light within the ship's resting place turned yellow to signal the all clear as those inside the space vehicle rose to their feet and journeyed to the cargo area.

"Okay, now before we go out there, there are few things you need to know, Gar." Shifting her cape from its short version, M'gann lengthened it to reach her ankles and wrapped it around herself. She also put her hood up to cover most of her face. "The green Martian majority has calmed a bit when it comes to white Martians but there are still places where equality has not yet been reached. So while we're here, stay close to Conner and I and no one should bother you."

"And if they do," Conner cut in, "just tell them you're here on official League business."

"After this, we'll go to my parent's home to rest for a few hours," M'gann told them. "So, let's see what the emergency is all about."

As M'gann mentally commanded her ship to lower a hatch, Conner leaned over to Garfield after the cloaked girl made her way out. "Just for the record, the only problem I have being here with her family is they're near impossible to tell apart when in their real Martian forms. Her brothers still won't let me forget about confusing them with their sisters."

Walking out into the hanger, the three were met by the former Green Beetle, B'arzz, and welcomed to the planet. In typical fashion, they were quickly led away to get down to business.

"So this is Mars," Garfield said as he, M'gann, Conner, and B'arzz arrived on the surface of the planet via a hidden elevator shaft.

"That's right, this is home sweet home." Leading the way, B'arzz directed them to where the trouble was he had alerted them to.

Being from Earth, both Conner and Garfield had to don specially designed suits to traverse the surface of the red planet. Unlike the old NASA spacesuits, the ones from Mars were more formfitting. Both were of the same design with black leggings and boots. A belt displayed a number of lights, letting others know of the wearer's vitals and suit safety levels. A crimson top covered their torsos with black gloves thick enough to protect them yet thin enough to be extremely flexible. As for their helmets, they provided a full un-obscured view of their heads. Being Martians, B'arzz and M'gann did not require them; however, the former Green Beetle did assume a more human-like form resembling Martian Manhunter and morphed his skin to form a hooded cloak like M'gann's as they went about their work in case of any dust storms.

"Now, when we first contacted you," B'arzz went on as he led them to a quarantined zone, "we had just discovered several of these containers, which fell planet side. This happened so suddenly, we did not know what to do. We had no idea where it is they are from and hoped you could shed some light on the matter. Although, I do slightly remember something about them from my time under The Reach's control."

Coming around a large pile of boulders, the four laid eyes on a vast sea of red sand with metal objects sticking out of the ground. Some of the silver objects had impacted on their sides or had skidded to a stop and crashed into any number of boulders. Others looked to have landed face down, but regardless of how they fell, all were empty.

"Conner," M'gann said in a bit of shock. "These…these look like…"

"Stasis pods." Taking a closer look at the nearest pod, Conner inspected its side display responsible for keeping its inhabitor alive and saw it was pretty much shattered. "Where are the bodies?"

"Most have been taken to the planet's morgue to be prepped to return to their home worlds. We are still finding other bodies in the wreckage."

"How many pods were there?" M'gann asked.

"We counted one hundred fifteen. The majority were human I believe were still in Reach captivity with a few aliens."

"So these are from War World," Conner said. "These pods match the ones we were in when we were captured there."

"I thought Batman and Nightwing said Vandal Savage took War World," Garfield told his teammates. "Why would he do this? And where's that Mongol guy?"

"Him I remember clearly. We searched all the pods and found no one you referred to as Mongol," B'arzz told him. "From our guesses, Savage must have dumped all cargo he didn't see fit to carry with him. Unfortunately, cargo also applied to captives. The only upside to this is, we did find one survivor, an orange skinned alien woman who was extremely agitated when we freed her. It took a great deal of us to get her back in a working stasis pod."

"Were any Martians injured?" M'gann asked.

"Some. It took us several hours to find a way to get her under control and another hour at least to repair a pod as best we could. Our mental powers were of no use and we could not mentally communicate with her. We do not even know what species she is as we have not run into one of her kind before. By sheer fortune, we managed to capture and put her back in stasis. It has only been around eight hours since we regained control and are now continuing our work."

"So where is this alien that had you all fighting for hours?" Garfield asked. "And…are you sure she's really captured?"

"Quite sure. Follow me, her pod is still here and has not yet been moved."

It didn't take long for the four to reach the pod the lone alien survivor was trapped in. It would have been an understatement to say M'gann was shocked by the sight of so much destruction when she froze in her tracks. Dark scorch marks littered the ground with craters that could have only been caused by strong impacts. Gravel covered some areas, indicating where once large boulders once stood. Blood, Martian blood was splayed about, giving her some sense of the violence that had taken place hours ago. She was just grateful no Martians were killed. Despite that, it just reminded her of things she wished she hadn't seen so long ago.

"You alright?" Conner asked with a hand on her shoulder.

Placing a hand on his, she nodded and shook the past out of her head. "It just reminds me of how the White Martians were treated when I was growing up. Some of the things I've seen…"

"Look, if you don't want to be here, me and Gar could take care of this while you go home for a bit. You know, if it's too much for you right now."

The feeling of Conner's hand on her shoulder was enough to give her comfort. "No, I'm okay. The sight was just so sudden. I can handle it."

"Guys!" Garfield yelled. "What's taking you so long? You're on a mission, not a date!"

Separating quickly, the two senior team members looked away from each other. M'gann bit her lip and looked down as Conner looked the other direction and went to rub the back of his head, only to be stopped by his helmet before they hurried over to B'arzz and Garfield.

"This is it," B'arzz stated as he put a hand on the repaired stasis pod. "She has been in suspended animation and has been carefully watched over. She's not going anywhere."

Looking inside the crimson colored stasis field of the pod, the three team members laid eyes on a young woman about their age wearing what appeared to be a silver plated suit and broken shackles on her hands. It was obvious she was caught unaware as her stance was one of readiness to attack. Her hair resembled fire and was frozen in a sweeping motion, which covered most of her face. Any other details were too vague to be seen through the field.

"The only survivor and she was capable of holding back an army of Martians." M'gann touched the stasis field and stared at the girl inside. "B'arzz, have a team load the pod in my ship. The three of us are going to pay my family a quick visit and contact the Watchtower."

North Pole

July 6, 01:39 UTC

Within howling winds, freezing temperatures, and blindingly white snow, a lone man climbed out of a tent wearing something akin to white rubber armor. A bright blue bird design was situated over his chest with neon blue lighting coursing between the plates. Strapped to his leg were tools such as ice picks, thermal lasers, a computer tablet, and other equipment he may need while on his search for clues. His head, usually uncovered, was donned in a cowl made from the same material as his bodysuit with a matching mask.

As cold as it was, his suit kept him warm due to a built in heating system lasting for several hours before needing recharging. It was the reason he decided to finally stop after ten hours of work. He didn't let that stop him though as he also packed a heavy duty snowsuit for when his advanced gear needed a break but could only work for an additional four hours before feeling the first signs of frostbite kicking in. If it wasn't for the threat of losing his limbs or freezing to death, he would not have stopped searching for a way to bring the fallen Wally West back.

Tired and lacking of sleep, the vigilante known as Nightwing met the new day with a renewed purpose as he headed for the site where the end of the world was supposed to occur at and instead only ended up being the end of his friend and brother, when his communicator beeped.

**AN: Thanx for the follows, favs, and reviews this early in. Didn't think I would get that much of a turn out this soon, especially when it came to page views alone. And now for the questions I have received: I plead the 5****th****. Ya'll are just gonna have to sit back and enjoy the ride, but I do have my plans for each question asked, hint, hint.**

**The action begins next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

3.

Palo Alto

July 06, 03:40 UTC

It had been a long day for the blonde heroine known as Tigress as she unlocked the front door of her house. It had been around an hour since she, Kid Flash, and Wonder Girl were on stakeout at the Lex Corp building in Metropolis as a follow up to the earlier infiltration mission a day ago. Since collecting the information she and her team were responsible for, Batgirl had spent a great deal of time cycling through the seemingly endless amount of data downloaded to the one hundred-fifty gig flash drive. Most of what they went through was old news such as the chemical used to neutralize the Reach's additive in their distributed drink, dates of meetings between the Light and The Reach that were to take place, potential plans against the team, and so on. At the end of it all, Artemis had decided to venture home for a real bed instead of the cot sized ones the Watchtower had.

The moment she entered the house, she knew it was a mistake. It felt as if she wasn't welcome by the walls surrounding her. Even the lights seemed dimmer since that fateful day Wally 'ceased' as Jaime and his scarab put it. The only exception was their dog, which scampered up to her and was rewarded with a pet on the head and hug.

"Hey, boy,' she said with a tired voice while tossing her duffle bag filled with her gear to the side. "Miss me much?"

The dog whimpered before giving a bark as its master led him to the back door to go out.

"I guess I should go ahead and tell you, we won't be staying here much longer. After I pack up, we're going back to live with mom in her apartment." She let the dog out and turned back to face her once happy home. "At least it won't feel so haunted."

While the dog did its business, Artemis stripped off her shirt and headed for the shower. She stood under the hot water as it slightly turned her skin red, as if trying to burn off what emotions she felt when in the dwelling. Steam filled the small room from the temperature, a temperature she would have been complained to about had her boyfriend been there since it would have taken all the hot water available in a few minutes. It was that memory that triggered a lingering feeling within as she could have sworn a pair of hands were sliding across her back and down her arms, the way Wally would do when they showered together.

Wishing what she felt was real; she wrapped her arms around herself and leaned her head against the wall. She couldn't tell the difference between the warm water coming from the showerhead or her tears as she desperately wished her speedster would only open the door to the shower and step in with her. It wasn't until around five AM when she was finally in her bed, curled up with a pillow that smelt faintly of Wally with her canine asleep at her feet.

Bio Ship

July 07, 016:16

"Nearing the Watchtower, guys. Be ready to dock in roughly ten minutes." Once again at the helm of her ship, M'gann, who forwent her usual blue cape and was only donned in her black and red uniform, ran her hands over the ship's controls.

The space station the Justice League, and now The Team, used as a base of operations was coming up fast with Earth rotating behind it. They had a clear view of the Americas underneath white swirls of clouds. Its oceans never looked more beautiful or clean as the land also never looked greener.

"I'll be so glad to get back home. Or, you know, whatever you wanna call the Watchtower." Reaching forward, Garfield grabbed his 'busy pack' and slipped his T-pad into an outside pocket. The slender computer tablet turned off with its signature click as he zipped the bag up.

"Don't worry, Gar. Uncle J'onn managed to get an extra apartment in his building reserved for us. He said we could move in, in about two days."

"Seriously?" the youth said with a wide smile. "You mean I don't have to breathe recycled air and can actually fly around without everything looking the same or artificially grown?"

"That's right. It even has a skylight and balcony for you to come and go."

"Sweet. Hey, Con, what about you…Con?"

Slumping in his chair, Conner was still asleep with his head lolling to the left.

"I think you're gonna have to wake him up Gar," M'gann told him. She then watched as her blood brother tiptoed over to the sleeping Kryptonian and pinched his nose shut.

A moment passed when Conner choked from the lack of oxygen and woke up with a confused look on his face. Looking around with a low growl, he saw M'gann occupying herself with the ship's controls and Garfield sitting nonchalantly in his seat as he twisted the chair lazily back and forth.

"About time you got up, Conner," M'gann said as he sat up and rubbed his face. He didn't notice a grin on the two shape shifters faces. "We're almost to the Watchtower so-"

Before she could say anything more, a heavy thud came from the cargo area of the ship. All three team members looked in its direction when they heard another thud.

"Sounds like the cooler's not strapped down right." Getting up from his chair, Conner popped his back before heading for the back of the ship. "I'll be back."

"Don't take too long," M'gann told him. "We'll be docking in about five minutes."

As soon as Conner was out of sight, Garfield turned to face the Martian. "Hey, M'gann, um, what about Conner? He doesn't have a home to go to either."

Letting out a sigh, M'gann replied, "I don't know, Gar. He…he might just want to stay at Watchtower or go to the Kent farm."

"Couldn't you just ask him if he would like to live in Chicago? Maybe your uncle could get him an apartment or he could crash with us."

"I don't know, Gar. It's…sorta new between us. We're starting over. He just needs time to fully trust me again."

Thinking to herself, she wouldn't have to be told to invite Conner to stay with her and Garfield if things were different, it would have been the first thing she would do after learning of the apartment. Since reconciling the other day, she wanted things to go smoothly and slowly between them. She could feel their renewed relationship was on shaky ground, which threatened to collapse at the slightest misstep as if stepping on a thin sheet of ice, and wanted to be sure it could get to more sturdy area before going any further. The fragile trust she broke needed time to be repaired and she was more than willing to wait if it meant she could be with Conner again.

"What do you mean trust you again?" Garfield asked with a raised eyebrow. "What did you do to him in the first place?"

"I'll…tell you later, Gar. Right now, just buckle up and prepare to dock."

Within the cargo hold, Conner looked around carefully for the source of the thud. Heading to where the cooler was, he saw it was strapped down tight and closed properly. Nothing was on the floor, suggesting the noise hadn't come from an object falling from the shelves. With no sign of the sound, he backed up a few steps and bumped into the large stasis pod they had retrieved from Mars when it occurred to him, he hadn't seen the glow of the container's various lights on the panel. The moment he turned to check why that was so, he came face to face with an orange skinned woman with angry, glowing green eyes.

"Nev'ey shota le'calmma ena shento!" the woman all but shouted as she grabbed Conner by the throat and slammed him against the wall. "Ena shento!"

"_M'gann, she's loose_!" Conner mentally yelled, hoping she would get the message as the alien girl leaned in close.

His first reaction was to break the hold she had on him. Bringing his arms up, he forcibly separated her hands from his neck before grabbing her by the upper arms and changing their positions to where she was pinned against the wall with his arm across her throat. They didn't stay in that position for long as she head butted him then delivered a knee to his jaw. Off balance, Conner stumbled back when he was tackled to the ground and was straddled with his hands pinned above his head.

"En na'y usanna?" the woman muttered close to his face. "En na'y t'hay un twaka."

"Get off!" Bucking his hips upward, he managed to catch her off guard and force her into the air where she hovered.

Scrambling to his feet, he heard M'gann shout she was on her way from the front of the ship when the orange girl's hands began to glow with a green energy. With no time to react, Conner mentally shouted for M'gann and Garfield to keep away just as he was blasted in the chest point blank. He sailed backwards through the air and ended up crashing back first into the ship's forward control panel.

"Conner?!" M'gann yelled when she saw the force of the impact.

"Le swanna en'ay cusa!" Flying head first, the angered woman charged up her fists with the green energy and tried to tackle the Martian girl, only to fly right through her instead and be hit in the face by two elongated kangaroo feet courtesy of Garfield. "Ett shanna y pannoo. Ena shento?"

"Do you understand any of that?" Garfield asked once he morphed back to his human/monkey hybrid form.

"Not a word, Gar." Using her telepathy, which caused her eyes to glow a bright green, she tried reading the woman's mind but was immediately shut out from it as if she ran face first into a brick wall. 'Ugh, she's blocking my telepathy. I can't-"

"En fu'wack en la costa nal'haga!"

"Move!" Conner yelled as he dove past his teammates.

Throwing punch after punch at the hostile alien, Conner found himself at a stalemate fairly quickly with each attack being blocked. He in turn was forced on the defensive and blocked each one of the alien's attacks. Garfield tried to get involved in the fight by dive-bombing the woman's head as he took on the form of a falcon until he was batted away and Conner was thrown towards the cargo hold. She then charged her left fist with energy and before M'gann could do anything to stop her, she fired a blast where the Kryptonian was, barely missing his shoulder as a hole was blasted in the hull of the ship.

Letting out a scream of pain from what her Bio Ship felt, M'gann dove to the side and grabbed one of the control pillars beside the pilot's chair and used her telekinesis to grab hold of Conner before he flew out of the ship. Garfield morphed into a tiger and kept himself from being pulled into space by embedding his claws into the floor of the ship as the alien girl gripped onto the side of the passageway between the cockpit and cargo hold.

With the back of the ship damaged, it began to roll to the right while moving away from the Watchtower. It soon sailed past it and began heading towards Earth. Those inside found themselves pressed against the walls from the centrifugal force as the ship slowly healed the hole that was blasted in it. It was no use as it continued to roll and tumble end over end through the atmosphere.

**Watchtower**

Sirens blared within the space station as Batgirl quickly typed away at her holographic computer station. Currently, the League was busy with other pressing matters such as natural disasters or dealing with a potential reforming of the Injustice League. Right now, she wished at least someone were left in the Watchtower who could fly in space.

"Batgirl, what's going on?" Bart, who was still in his civilian clothing asked as he ran up to her.

"M'gann's Bio Ship was less than five minutes away when she contacted me about a hostile alien aboard breaking free and attacking them. Whatever it is, she said it was strong and resistant to her telekinetic powers. They're now on a collision course with Earth."

"You know where it's gonna land?"

Bringing up a screen of projected paths the ship could take, one was highlighted and blinked as the most probable one. "It looks to be on course to crash somewhere in the outskirts of Jump City, California. Think you can Zeta there in case it-" Before she could finish, Bart had dashed off to his room to retrieve his Kid Flash costume then rush to the Zeta tubes.

Bringing up a screen of available Team members, Batgirl moved two of the ID shots to the bottom of the list as the computer brought up their com units.

"Blue Beetle, Wonder Girl, meet Kid Flash in Jump City. Alpha team's in trouble and there may be a hostile alien presence aboard their ship. I need the heavy hitters there as soon as possible."

**Earth's atmosphere**

"Gar!" M'gann yelled as the ship fell into a flat spin after emerging through the atmosphere and descended rapidly to the Earth below. It took all her strength to keep from flying into a wall as she gripped tightly to the control columns.

Sliding across the floor, the green tiger left a trail of white marks from its claws. Feeling himself become weightless from his sister mentally floating him over to the closest chair, Garfield morphed into an anaconda and wrapped himself around the base of the seat.

"_Gar, are you hurt_?" M'gann asked through their mind link.

"_No, just a little sick. Sorry in advance if I throw up_."

"_Conner, where are you_?"

In the back of the ship, Conner and the alien woman were once again locked in combat. "_A…little…busy…right now_."

"Ean'y cuna stupanafa!" the orange alien yelled as she and Conner were locked in a tie up.

Both had a hard time maintaining their balance in the spinning ship as they fought for control in the fight. It wasn't so much as a fist fight as it was a wrestling grapple fest between them until Conner was shot with one of the alien's energy beams. He flew back to the front of the ship and crashed into the large curved glass as the alien charged through the air fists first. The resulting impact saw them both fly through the ship's glass and free fall through the air away from the ship.

"Conner!" Garfield yelled as he morphed back into his hybrid form. "M'gann-" As the ship continued spinning, one of the damaged objects flew through the air and struck him on the head, knocking him out.

"Gar!" M'gann yelled as she mentally grabbed him out of the air then turned to her ship's controls. "Come on, girl, get it together."

Concentrating on regaining control of her ship, M'gann's eyes turned to a bright shining green as she forced the interstellar vehicle to slow down and attempt to fly again. With gravity against them and a near total loss of equilibrium, she had no choice but to abandon ship with Garfield. Taking the unconscious youth in her arms, she flew out of the window and away from the lost ship as she had it morph into its oval-like form as it fell to the desert below, all the while hoping she could get to Conner who was the only one of them who couldn't fly.

As Conner and the alien woman fell through the air in a tumble, he gripped on tight in hopes she would fly to the ground and blocked whatever attack he could. She had other plans as she fought back and succeeded in getting one of her arms free from his grasp. Delivering several punches to Conner's face soon after, the alien girl further succeeded in getting them separated completely and kicked him away as she flew off and watched as he fell.

Twisting around, the flightless version of Superman's eyes grew wide as the rocky ground drew near. At least five miles away was a city, what it was he couldn't tell, but he was glad at least he wouldn't land in the middle of a busy street or on a building.

"Tuh, I hate falling." Seconds later, a loud thud erupted from the desert floor with a puff of smoke floating up where he landed.

**AN: Thanks for even more faves, follows, and reviews! OK, shouldn't be a surprise to everyone reading this that the alien is Starfire. Really wanted her in the show and I hope ya'll like my take on her. I also do not know a word of Tameran so I hope her dialogue comes across as realistic since I had to make up something. And yes, Conner did a Wylie Coyote skydive into the desert floor. Looney Tunes was on and well…**


	4. Chapter 4

4.

Jump City

July 07, 16:31 UTC

Watching the puff of smoke where her dark haired opponent fell as she hovered high in the air, the orange alien woman gave a sneer. "En bassa del la fuenta. Shento u'n teq'ualla benta."

"I don't know who you are or what you said, but you're going to pay for doing that." Coming in at high speed, M'gann, with her cape formed around her to complete her usual look, delivered a punch to the woman's jaw, sending her across the sky.

Regaining her balance, the alien woman charged up her hands and flung several green oval shaped orbs at her Martian foe when she was attacked by the claws of a green condor. Its massive wings wacked her in the face repeatedly as she tried to bat it away. The moment it flew off she received a flip kick to the face from M'gann, toppling her end over end further to the ground.

"_Beast Boy, find Superboy, I'll deal with_-"

"_Sherbet girl? On it_." Taking off in a dive, the green condor shot to where he saw Conner land when he came too a few moments ago while his sister engaged the alien.

Green orbs flew through the air as Miss Martian dodged the incoming energy projectiles. Each one radiated heat as they narrowly missed her and slowly grew in number as the woman became faster in throwing them. In defense, Miss Martian used her telekinesis to form a separation in the orbs, giving her a clear shot to the alien and tackling her in the air. It was them when she saw just how large she was and felt the power in her grip.

From what she could see in the stasis pod, the alien looked to be a warrior with the way she was posed and how she fought on Mars. She knew Conner and Cassie were strong but this woman felt like she could give them a serious workout should they all fight. She still maintained a slender athletic built, meaning her true strength was hidden by her looks. As for her height, she could give Wonder Woman a run for her money.

"In'way un twaka!" the alien shouted as she flipped Miss Martian over her head and threw her towards the rocky floor of the desert, charging up her eyes with energy as she did so.

Miss Martian barely got out of the way in time as two beams of green energy shot past her and carved up the ground below. She was then hit hard in the back and tumbled through the air until forcing herself to stop. As she readied to attack, the sun was caught in the orange woman's silver outfit and blinded her temporarily, causing enough of a distraction for the alien to hit her with one of her green orbs and sending her straight to the ground below.

Watching the Green skinned woman fall the ground, the alien woman floated in the air and sneered. "En bassa del la fuenta. Shento u'n teq'ualla bent-AGHH!"

"Hey, creamsicle," Blue Beetle yelled as he fired a concentrated blast from his sonic cannon, "we've met our alien invader quota for the year, so get off our planet!"

Regaining her composure, the alien flung her energy orbs at the blue and black hero. "Mu'ay essa un basa! Sl'ay un basa!"

"Uh, you get that?" Blue Beetle asked his scarab as he dodged the attacks.

"**Negative, Jaime Reyes. Her particular dialect is not in my collective data banks. However, I highly recommend you do not suffer a hit from her energy attacks as my analysis suggests they are rather powerful.**"

"Somehow, I knew that. Thanks for your input."

"**Your thanks is not necessary**."

As Blue Beetle and the alien female fought, Miss Martian was diving head first to the hard surface below. The wind stirred her slightly, causing her to open her heavy eyelids and try to bring herself to a stop but she was going too fast. When it seemed as if she would not get the opportunity to slowdown, a yellow blur streaked through the air and snagged her less than half a mile from the ground.

"You okay?" Wonder Girl asked as she landed on a rocky cliff. She was still in her civilian attire, jeans, sneakers, and a yellow blouse, evidence she was called to action on her own time.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm okay."

"Okay, well, rest here. We'll handle the star girl." Letting her team mate sit on an inclined boulder, Wonder Girl unhooked her lasso from her belt and prepared to take off.

"Cass, wait," Miss Martian said as she rubbed her head. "She's strong enough to go toe to toe with Conner so watch out for yourself."

With a nod, Wonder Girl took off to aid Blue Beetle in his midair battle.

Over two miles away, Beast Boy, still as a large condor, glided to the edge of a large crater in the rocky soil. He morphed back into his hybrid form and slid down to the center of the hole where a half buried Superboy lay.

"Conner?" Beast Boy said as he knelt down beside him and shook his shoulder. "Conner, you okay?"

Letting out a groan, the powerhouse sat up. Dirt, rocks, and the occasional desert plant fell from his torso as he got to a sitting position. "Yeah. I'm fine."

A scorpion crawled over his exposed shoulder and paused to begin stinging him, not that it could break the ultra-durable skin of a Kryptonian. He was about to smash it when he heard Garfield clear his throat and look at him sternly. "Conner, don't you dare."

With a roll of his eyes, the Kryptonian picked the arachnid up by its tail and set it on the ground where it crawled away. "Happy?"

"Yup. Can you stand?"

"Give a minute." With a grunt, Conner managed to make it to a kneeling position.

His long sleeve shirt was a complete loss with his pants needing to be replaced with holes torn into the material over his knees and shredded right leg. Both heroes could hear loud pops from his back as Beast Boy helped him stand and get out of the crater.

"Where's M'gann?" Conner asked as he spit into the dirt.

"Sis was fighting the xenomorph when she told me to check up on you but I heard Blue Beetle and Wonder Girl arrive over my ear piece."

"Xenomorph? Since when did the alien woman get acid for blood?"

"Heh, for all we know, she might be an intergalactic hunter looking for trophies."

Over where the battle was occurring, Blue Beetle and Wonder Girl were dodging the incoming energy orbs as best they could. Wonder Girl played defense, reflecting every blast she could with her bracelets while Blue Beetle played offense. With the Scarab's input on strategy, the two were giving the alien woman a pretty good fight as they managed to get her closer to the ground when Wonder Girl managed to snare her lasso around the feet of the aggressor and drag her towards them.

"Got her!" Blue Beetle yelled as he fired two of his staples at the woman and managed to pin her to a rock wall.

His celebration didn't last long as the orange woman broke free and blasted him with her eye beams. Wonder Girl went in for an attack of her own when her fist was caught before she could connect with the alien's temple. She winced as the pressure on her hand was increased and was grabbed by the throat.

"En bassa del la fuenta," she said as she powered up her eye beams. "Shento u'n teq'ualla benta."

As she prepared to fire upon the blonde girl, the sound of a jet engine filled the air, causing them to look up as a man dressed in black leapt out of its cockpit and landed on Wonder Girl to separate her from the powered up woman.

"Nightwing?" Wonder Girl asked as she landed on her feet below the alien.

"What are we dealing with, Cass?" he asked as he unholstered his metal escrima sticks.

"Alien girl, strong, flies, shoots green energy at us. That enough info?"

Looking down at the two, the alien woman formed her Green energy around her hands again. "Teian balla una me samma! Twak y lokwamma!"

"Can we get a translation on that?" Nightwing asked as he stood ready for a fight.

"Sorry, _jefe_. But my scarab can't decipher what she's saying." Landing beside the others, Blue Beetle formed his sonic cannon on one hand and his staple shooter on the other.

"And I can't read her mind," announced Miss Martian as she landed behind the group.

"Hey guys," Beast Boy shouted, "I found Conner and he's about to-"

Letting out a roar, the super strong team veteran tackled the alien woman out of the air and landed hard in the ground. Both quickly got back up and laid into the other as they let out roars. Fists connected with jaws, feet collided with shoulders, energy orbs burst around them, and stones were shattered from being slammed into.

"Superboy!" Nightwing yelled as he ran to where the alien Smackdown was. "Sup…Conner, back off!"

The two continued fighting, ignoring Nightwing's shouts until Superboy knocked the orange woman back and Nightwing got in his way. "Get out of the way, Dick!"

"No, stand down. Let me try." Turning to face the woman, who had her fists and eyes charged up, Nightwing took out his batons and held them in front of him. "I'm not here to fight you. I just want to talk."

The woman snarled at him as he advanced and tossed his weapons to the side. "I understand you may not know where you are but please, trust me, I'm not here to hurt you."

"Dick, she doesn't exactly speak English," Conner said as he stood at the ready should the alien attack.

"I know that, but hopefully if she sees me disarmed and making deliberate moves, she'll settle down and not attack us." Slowly, he moved his hands to his waist and took off his utility belt, tossing it to the side with his hands palms forward so she could see he had no other weapon. "Please don't blast my head off."

"Enna'y su mona y tw'anna? E l'ay bussa la fama y la?" the alien woman asked as she looked the new hero over.

"I'm Nightwing." He held his hands to his chest over the large blue bird motif he wore. "Night…wing."

Her eyes went back to their non-glowing state, revealing dark emerald eyes that seemed to draw in both Nightwing and Conner, although the latter looked back at the others and sent a mental message to them to stay on guard.

"Et nah bw'alla." The woman said as she pointed at Conner. "Et nah bw'alla."

"Um… what?" Conner asked.

"Et nah bw'alla! Niygh!" She again pointed at the powerhouse and swept her arm toward the others. "Niygh! Cualla niygh!" She trusted her arm again in the direction of the group.

"I think she wants you to get away," Nightwing told his old friend.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Conner never took his eyes off the woman. "What if she attacks you?"

"Got a smoke pellet in my glove just in case."

Eyeing the alien woman, Conner let out a huff and slowly backed up as he made his way to where the others stood. Once he was with the group, the woman lowered her arm and turned to Nightwing.

The alien woman took a step forward, her silver body suit making the Team squint from the light reflecting on it. "Dahlla coona. Em missah una de utanna'a ala fook. Et sei' un tanna."

"I'm…not…here…to…hurt…you," Nightwing stressed as he put his arms to the side. "My…name…is…Nightwing…and…I…umm!"

Faster than he could react, the alien woman rushed up to the masked man and crushed her lips to his. She was a few inches taller than he was so he soon found himself standing on his toes as she went further into the kiss. As for the rest of the team, some had wide eyes, gaping mouths, quizzical looks, or a combination of them all.

"What the…" Wonder Girl said as she witnessed her one time leader seemingly make out with an orange alien woman.

"I know what it is," Blue Beetle told his scarab. "No, they're not going that far. At least I hope not."

Looking from Nightwing and the alien, Beast Boy looked back at his sister and Superboy. "What is it with you alien girls and black haired guys?"

M'gann only blushed as she put her hand in front of the youngest team member's eyes. "Umm, you don't need to see this, Gar."

"Oh please, I caught you and Conner doing that and more before, remember?"

Neither the Martian or the Kryptonian could so much as look at each other without blushing at the green boy's response.

"Hey guys," Kid Flash said as he arrived where the majority of the group stood. "Went the wrong direction when I Zeta'd to Earth. What did I…holy chicken whizzies, Nightwing's getting some."

Separating after a few moments, Nightwing took a deep breath in an effort to regain the oxygen he was denied and felt his entire face warm from what just happened. "Uhh…um…I…I…Wingnight…is…na…name."

With a snicker, the orange alien woman flashed a grin. "My name's Koriand'r. But you can call me…Starfire."

Gotham City

July 07, 17:52 UTC

Within the apartment of Paula Crock, the wheelchair bound Vietnamese woman wheeled herself to the bathroom where her daughter was. For the last few minutes, Artemis refused to unlock the door, citing she was just tired and needed to soak in the tub when she was really hunched over the toilet vomiting. She went so far as to sneak clean clothes in when her mother was in the kitchen and running the shower to wet her hair and face to make her lie believable so she could appear as if she had taken a bath.

"Artemis?" Paula called. "Are you feeling okay?"

Sitting back from the toilet, Artemis wiped her mouth and tossed the paper she used in the trashcan then leaned her head back. "Yeah, mom. I'll be out in a minute."

"Okay. Dinner's nearly ready so hurry up."

Sitting for a moment more, the blonde woman forced herself to stand as her head pounded. Opening the medicine cabinet, she grabbed two ibuprofen tablets and filled a small paper cup with water. After taking them, she looked in the mirror and saw how tired she actually looked.

"Stupid flu. Hope I'm over it soon. Gotta get back to patrolling."

She then tied her hair back and headed to the kitchen.


	5. Chapter 5

5.

Gotham City

July 24, 19:42 UTC

"Take extra care of those canisters, boys. Mistah J doesn't want them going off early. And stop mistreating my babies! They just want tah play!"

Sitting on top of several crates inside of a warehouse, a black and red clad woman with a white face and black diamond styled makeup over her eyes twirled an oversized revolver in one hand while using the other to support herself. Upon first glance, she wouldn't seem to be a threat in any way in her knee high blood red boots and skin tight black leather pants. An oversized belt hung lopsidedly around her waist with various clown-like accessories such as a rubber chicken, a can of whip cream, seltzer bottle, and a few pouches. Covering her torso was a tight black leather corset with blood red highlights. Knives were sheathed in several pouches within easy reach with a sledgehammer strapped to her back.

After snapping the gum in her mouth, she stood up and watched as a hyena tried to drag one of the seven remaining workers Joker had commissioned by holding his family hostage to a dark corner and began to laugh. Drool flooded from its mouth as it succeeded in bringing the man down to his hands and knees.

"Help, please! Get it off me!" The man was close to tears as he fought from getting devoured.

"It's a dog eat dog world Numbah One, or are you Numbah Two? We really should have gotten you guys name tags or somethin'. Then again, since we're gonna kill every last one of ya'll…oopsie, I might not have meant to say that part out loud. Oh well."

Giving a whistle to the hyena, the woman called back the animal just as it was about to sink its jaws into the man's neck. The woman twisted a lock of her blonde and red streaked hair around a finger as she stood along the edge of the large crate.

"Thing One, here boy. Now, where's Things Two and…oh, there you two are. Did you have fun playing with your little friend?"

Trotting out from behind a line of crates, two more hyenas obediently sat as they licked the fresh blood from their lips.

"Oh you two look so darn keyuuuute! You enjoy your little snack?" The animals barked excitedly at her. "You two like dark meat, huh? Not like your brother who prefers Asian or Mexican cuisine."

"Har, Har, Har," came a voice from the shadows behind her. "Just because the man was black doesn't mean you have go all racial. Aw, who am I kidding…who cares! Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Mistah J!" Running back to the new arrival, the woman referred to as Har, leapt into his arms with her arms and legs wrapped around him. She planted a large kiss on him with a loud comical smack when they separated. "Did I do good, Puddin'? Everything's in order just like ya wanted."

Wearing his usual purple suit, the green haired, white faced criminal known as The Joker, pushed her off after a moment. "You did splendid, Harley. Now do me a favor and get out of my spotlight."

Pushing his partner aside, Joker pulled out a control device from the inside of his coat and flipped a cover up. "To those of you present, I would just like to thank you all for helping me set up for the party. Unfortunately, you are not invited and are guilty of trespassing. But as I always say, if you gotta go…go with a smile. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

As The Joker pressed his thumb to a switch, an elongated piece of metal flew through the air and knocked the device from his hand. It embedded itself in the concrete floor next to the remote, making Joker give a sigh as he saw the shape of the piece of metal.

"Oh, Batsy, why can't you let me have any fun?" Joker asked as he looked to the shadows near the windows.

"That's cause your type of fun is sick." Landing on a crate near the remaining hostages/forced workers, Robin brought up a Bird-A-Rang in preparedness to throw.

"Not to mention it usually costs innocent people their lives," Batgirl announced as she flipped over a forklift and landed before the hostages.

Landing with a heavy thud behind the clown couple, Batman himself stood slowly with his cape wrapped around him. To everyone in their sane minds, it would have been an intimidating sight, but to the Clown Prince of Crime, it was nothing more than theatrics.

"Quick, Joke-Boy, you take on the red bellied sap sucker, Harley, you take on jail bait, and I'll take on ol' man Batsy," Joker said while performing over acted gestures to the heroes. "Oh, wait, I don't have a prepubescent side kick boy blunder. But if I did, he would better than yours! Boys, eliminate the rodent problem!"

Popping out of the crates on the floor, several of Joker and Harley's minions emerged and opened fire on the three caped individuals. AK-47's came alive as they fired shot after shot at the heroes who dodged out of the way.

Batgirl threw down a gas pellet as she tackled the hostages out of the line of fire as Robin threw his Bird-A-Rang and went to work on fighting the thugs. His female partner soon joined him after the civilians were shown the way out and Batman went to take on Joker himself.

"Nuh, uh, uh, Ratman," Harley said as she pointed her revolver at Batman. "If you want Mistah J, you have to go through me fir-"

"How about we keep this between us girls?" Batgirl said after she sent the female clown crashing head first into a crate.

"Fine by me, toots. I'd love to smack around a rodent tonight." Flinging her gun forward, Harley fired a shot off and missed the caped woman as the round flew past her shoulder. It sailed over to the back of one of the henchmen and wrapped him up in what appeared to be ribbon as soon as it struck him.

"Someone needs to work on her aim."

"And someone needs to pick a different outfit to wear," Harley yelled as she fired two more shots. "Those tights make your butt look fat!"

"That's the line, Harley!"

Throwing one of her Bat-A-Rangs at the criminal, Batgirl managed to hit the gun out of Harley's hand and dove at her. Both enguaged in hand to hand combat with Harley incorporating gymnastic-like moves and back flipping around the heroine's attacks when she couldn't block them. Batgirl landed a few hits and blocked all that came her way until being hit in the head by a very hard rubber chicken, forcing her to the floor below where Robin was mopping up the last of the henchmen.

"Rubber chickens, who knew they were good for rodent problems?" Tossing her weapon aside, Harley took hold of her seltzer bottle and fired a stream of liquid at Batgirl.

Seeing the liquid come her way, Batgirl rolled to the side as it landed where her head was and burned the concrete. Instead of firing water, Harley was firing concentrated acid. A Bat-A-Rang took care of that problem, forcing Joker's henchwoman to reach for her sledgehammer and leap to the floor, performing a flip as she hit the ground and came up to slam her weapon down, barely missing Batgirl's knee as pieces of concrete popped into the air.

"No fair, you moved!" Harley yelled as she continued her attack.

A few meters away, Robin was fighting three thugs by himself. His bo staff connected with the shoulder of one, dislocating his arm before receiving a boot to his face. The moment he hit the ground, the second thug brandished a knife and trusted its sharpened blade at the back of the boy wonder. In a flash, Robin spun around as the criminal continued forward then was kicked in the back of the head. As he fell forward unconscious, the final thug put his fists up as the masked boy turned to face him.

"I warn you," the thug said as he grabbed an empty AK-47 from the floor and gripped the barrel of the weapon, "I know MMA."

"You better know something." Robin twirled his bo staff around then struck a ready position. "Whenever you're ready."

The exchange didn't last long as the thug advanced with the rifle above his head then was hit between the eyes by Robin's bo and fell to the floor in a crumpled heap.

"And here I thought you might actually try to put up a fight."

Back over where the two females were fighting, Batgirl had Harley on the run. The red and black woman had pulled her whip cream can from her belt and sprayed the substance along the ground as she performed cartwheels to avoid getting hit. A few moments later, after the cream was exposed to air, the white substance expanded and detonated in a small explosion, nearly catching the vigilante off guard. Grabbing her sledgehammer again, Harley swung it at the head of Batgirl who ducked and back flipped away.

"You ain't getting away from me!" Hoisting her hammer to her shoulder, Harley pressed a switch and fired the weighted end at the female bat's back. The hit was enough to bring her to the ground with a cry of pain.

Immediately after his partner went down, Robin leapt at Harley, barely missing connecting his foot to her head. The clown woman countered by pulling out an endless string of handkerchiefs, which really ended after seven long sheets of cloth, and snagged the end around his neck. The fabric acted like a snap bracelet and clamped down around his throat, cutting off his air supply.

"Don't you know boys shouldn't hit girls? Especially the psychotic, murderous, paranoid delusional ones?" Letting out a laugh, Harley stood over the gasping teen's body and watched as the air he desperately needed was denied him. "Too bad you can't breathe little bird. Air feels ssssoooooooooooo good."

With her attention on the suffocating boy wonder, she failed to notice Batgirl standing behind her and land a punch to the back of her head. Hitting the ground, Harley was in dreamland as Batgirl pulled out a sharpened Bat-A-Rang and cut through the material around Robin's neck.

"Come on, breathe." Helping her partner up to a sitting position, she waited for his face to turn from purple to its normal coloring.

"Tha…thanks, Batgirl," Robin said as he rubbed his neck.

"Hey, don't mention it. It's what partners do." She stood and reached into a pouch in her utility belt for some plastic bands to tie up Harley and the criminals with. "And another thing they do is make sure everyone knows you were just powned by a girl with bad makeup."

"Oh please, not again, BG," he moaned. "The others still won't let me forget when Cass gave me a wedgie when she saved me from falling off that building."

Outside the warehouse, Batman stalked Joker as the criminal ran up and down tight alleys in an attempt to lose his longtime foe. Trashcans were thrown to the ground as well as wooden crates and even a banana peel to trip up Batman.

"Lousy do-gooder. Can't he let me have one night to myself. I mean, I just want to put a smile on everyone's faces. Sure they die, but at least they enjoy doing it."

As he reached the end of an alley, and caught sight of his getaway car, Batman's shadow fell over him a moment before the Dark Knight planted both booted feet in his back. Watching the criminal carefully, Batman reached his hand around his back and pulled out one of his Bat-A-Rangs, should The Joker have a weapon on him.

"You…you…party pooper," Joker said as he slowly sat up. "I should have known you would come after me and take me down, like always. Can't you see this town needs an enema?"

The Dark Knight narrowed his eyes in his signature scowl.

"So tell me, Bats, how did you find out where I was and what I was doing?"

"Simple, Joker," Batman responded in his usual monotone way. "You never were too good at hiring muscle. They never know how to keep their mouths closed after being hired by you."

"Ah yes, the celebratory status that is synonymous with my name. Tell me Batsy, where do you go to obtain your sidekicks? Does the orphanage you frequent have a two for one sale, or do you have a buy one get one free coupon? And how much mileage do the new versions have as opposed to last year's model? Also, what is the depreciated value once they are driven off the lot?"

"Tell me something, Joker, how could you think I wouldn't find the pattern in your scheme? Detonating Joker gas canisters around Gotham in the shape of a smiling face, how cliché can you get?"

"I just wanted to put a smile on Gotham, Batman. It's a clown's lot in life to do so. Now, if you would be so kind as to take me back to Arkham, I do miss my old friends."

Forcing the defeated clown criminal to his feet, Batman slammed him against a wall and tied his hands together with a plastic band. "This was too easy, Joker. You never give up without some delusional fight. What are you up to?"

"Can't a guy know when he's beaten? Sheesh, and here I thought I was the only one with issues."

"Again, what are you planning Joker?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely, nothing. I was just board at the hideout and wanted to see my best friend again. You do know one is the loneliest number, don't you? And then my Harley wants to be revved every night…a man can only take so much!"

Pulling the crazed clown with him back to the warehouse, Batman contacted the Watchtower and, despite Joker's humming of the Star Trek theme, informs them of his success in stopping Joker's plans to detonate the bombs and disabling the ones around the warehouse district.

"Hey, Batsy," Joker asked. "Have you heard the one about the two guys who escaped the loony bin? Well, you see…"

Star City

July 27, 12:42 UTC

Sitting across a table at one of the few five star restaurants in Star City, Oliver Queen and his wife Dinah watched a young woman gorge herself on her third dessert since arriving for lunch. The married couple had long finished their meals and were waiting for the soufflé, which was enough for two, to be devoured by the woman across from them as they sat in a private corner of the eatery.

"Um, Artemis?" Oliver said slowly. "You, uh, almost done there?"

"Mmm…yeah…al…almost." She finished chewing another bite and washed it down with a swig of her iced tea.

"Listen, I wanted to do this in private, kid, but, well…" Scooting closer to the young lady, Oliver pulled out a small oval device from his jacket pocket. "We, Dinah and I, we wanted to talk to you about what you may be going through."

"What? I'm just hungry."

"Not that," Dinah said softly, even though it was evident Artemis looked to have gained a few pounds. "It's about what you're doing as Tigress. Ollie and Roy followed you the other night and recorded what you did."

Stopping from taking another bite, Artemis lay her fork down and wiped her mouth with her napkin. "You, you followed me? What? Am I some sort of little kid who needs a babysitter now?"

"No, you're not," Oliver told her. "Batman said there have been a number of criminals being admitted to Gotham general with serious injuries, caused by arrows. Many have been permanent, leaving them without the ability to function normally. So imagine my surprise when I saw this."

With the push of a button, the device flipped open to reveal a screen about four inches diagonally and began to play a video of Artemis in her Tigress gear. She was chasing a young man across the rooftops of Gotham who had a bag slung across his back. As he neared the edge of a building, an arrow impacted his bag, knocking him down and almost causing him to fall over the edge. Soon after, Tigress walked up to him and kicked him hard in the stomach before slicing the straps of his bag with her sword. She reached in and pulled out a thick stack of cash then put it back in the bag and zipped it up. What she did next was what Oliver and Dinah really wanted her to see. Pulling out her crossbow, Tigress loaded another bolt in it and shot it through the man's knee cap.

"He'll be lucky if he's able to have full movement in his knee after that," Oliver said as he pocketed the small monitor. "What were you thinking?"

"This isn't like you, Artemis," Dinah added with concern on her face.

Leaning forward on the table, Artemis took another bite of her dessert before mumbling something.

"What?"

"I said," Artemis said sternly, "he had it coming."

"Kid," Oliver said as he leaned in closer to her. "This is not how we do things. There is a line we do not cross and you're walking right on it."

"I don't make the rules, Ollie, but I know how to play the game. People like that, they don't care who they hurt. They break the law, get caught, go to jail, and get out soon after, only to be arrested again. At least this way, I won't have to run so hard next time I come across them."

"Artemis," said Dinah. "What's gotten into you? You were never like this."

"I've grown up, Dinah. I…I finally see what the world is. We, for some reason, go by certain unspoken rules while the bad guys do whatever they want. One goes down, five more take their place, but one good guy goes down and the remaining ones pick up the slack. What does that tell you? It's like everyone's rooting for the criminals and don't care about the ones who actually protect them and I'm sick of it. You even have bleeding hearts fussing about how we can't rough them up a little but at the same time, they don't like the criminals to go unpunished."

"Artemis, we're not saying-"

"Of course you're not saying, nobody says anything worth saying anymore. One person doesn't like their next door neighbor, guess what? They don't say anything out of fear they'll be vandalized at night. Someone hates the president, guess what? They don't say anything cause their afraid others will come after them. People won't stand up for others because they don't want to get involved or they don't defend themselves because they think it'll only be worse in the long run. I may not be a saint doing what I do, but I'm sure as heck not a devil either."

"Arty,"

"Don't call me Arty, Dinah. No one calls me Arty."

"I was going to tell you, I know what this is about. We've noticed you acting different since…well…since-"

"Since Wally died," Oliver took over. "But do you think he would want you to act like this? To go around permanently injuring people in his name?"

"It's not in his name," Artemis shot back, "They deserve it. Unlike Wally." She then began to eat the rest of her food as Oliver and Dinah stared at each other.

"Artemis," Dinah spoke, "I had a talk with your mother this morning, and practically every morning for the past week. And…well…we both agree that…Wally's not dead, at least not really dead."

Raising her eyes but not her head, Artemis stopped eating. "Don't you say it."

"It's something you have to consider," Oliver told her. "If you're scared-"

"I'm not scared." Artemis placed her head in her hands as she leaned forward on the table. "I can't…can't be-"

"Artemis-" Dinah said with a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't you say it, Dinah Queen, or I'll-"

"Artemis…you may be pregnant."

Those were the last words she wanted to hear or admit to herself. To her, they only meant she stood another chance at losing Wally again.

**AN: Okay, now before anyone comments on the way I portrayed Joker, let me just say the Young Justice one wasn't really a favorite of mine and I just had to add Harley to the mix. So let's just say he went a smidge crazier since the first season and I hope no one has a problem with this. I also couldn't get Mark Hamill and Arleen Sorkin's voices out of my head when I wrote their parts. Kudos to those who can identify the lines and the actor I consider as my favorite Joker.**

**And to those who pose questions in your comments as to what's going to happen next…where's the fun in telling ya'll what I'm gonna write beforehand? I've got a good amount of twists and turns ahead for everyone who reads this and I hope you all enjoy.**


	6. Part 2: Planning - Chapter 6

**Part 2: Planning**

**1.**

Watchtower

July 31, 09:16 UTC

"Hrryah, hua, hua, hua, hua, shua, hua, rrrrrrragh!"

Inside the training center of the Watchtower, the newest arrival, Starfire, was showing off what she could do by firing her energy orbs, called starbolts, at several nonmoving plastic targets as she flew through various rings around the arena. Each target was hit dead center and was obliterated from the power of the attacks as she shot past them and quickly moved on to the next one. To finish the exercise, the orange alien woman unleashed a stream of green energy from her eyes, which destroyed the remaining targets in one swipe.

"Wow, she's good," Captian Marvel said as he chewed on a churro in the observation room. Cinnamon from the fried pastry fell on his chest and was wiped off soon after.

"Impressive," Static added.

"Good? Impressive? She's amazing. So totally crash," Impulse added.

With her objective complete, Starfire floated over to the large thick glass separating the training floor from the observation room and landed with her arms crossed. She still wore her silver body suit and had her long red, untamed hair sashay freely behind her as it fell past her rear end. Slowly, a two foot long, light orange, worm-like creature with slightly darker orange stripe patterns on it, made its way over to her. Its tiny legs were barely able to lift its pudgy body off the ground. She picked it up and tickled its belly as she let out a laugh and it curled up in her arms.

"So, what do you think?" a maskless Bumblebee asked Wonder Girl who stood beside her. "Can she be trusted?"

"Why ask me? Can't you have M'gann read her mind?" Wonder Girl answered.

"She can't, remember?" Nightwing interjected. "M'gann can't read her mind due to some barrier keeping her out. Even Martian Manhunter can't get past it. She's shown no hostilities towards us since speaking English and has cooperated with everything we say."

"Whatever you say, Hotlips." Wonder Girl's new nickname for Nightwing made everyone snicker as his face slightly turned red. Even Conner had to grin at the name, what with all the ribbing he took when he first started going with M'gann.

"Yeah, but remember what happened with Green Beetle," Mal said from beside Nightwing. "We can't know if she's working for an enemy or not."

M'gann moved to the front of the room and looked Starfire over. "I could always try scanning her mind again. Maybe I can find a way to see if what she's saying is true if she's asleep."

"It's worth a hot, er, shot, shot. It's worth a shot." Nightwing hoped no one paid attention to what he said but of course they all picked up on it. "I have another idea though. Conner, Cassie, if you could please come with me. Bart, could you go get the portable polygraph machine from the storage room and join us in the training area?"

"Think that will work?" Bart asked.

"It's the best choice we have right now. Cassie's rope can force her to tell the truth and the polygraph could give us some idea if she has a way around the ropes affects. I refuse to let what happened last time repeat itself."

After a few minutes, Nightwing, M'gann, Cassie, Bart, Conner, and Garfield entered the training area with the portable polygraph, a few chairs, and a table. As the others set up the equipment, Nightwing and Conner approached Starfire to explain what was going on as her pet worm, named Silkie, slept in her lap. Behind the glass where the other heroes were, switches were being flipped and keys were being pushed to prepare the security measures in the training room should their new guest prove to be aggressive in any way as Cassie looped her lasso around the orange girl's wrist. Cameras and microphones recorded everything including when Nightwing hooked her up to the lie detector and asked her the basic questions to establish a base reading to see if she's being honest or not.

"Okay, so now that we have a good indication you're telling the truth, we can move onto the real questions," Nightwing began. "Are you a warrior from your planet?"

Looking directly in his eyes, Starfire gave her response. "Yes."

"Care to elaborate?"

"My people are a warrior culture. Since our birth, we are trained to do battle by our parents and k'norfka."

"K'norfka?" asked Garfield.

"Guardian," Starfire told him. "Our parents teach us the basics and K'norfka's teach advanced battle strategies."

"Okay, well, were your intentions hostile before your capture on War World?" Nightwing asked.

"No."

"Elaborate."

"I was promised to a warlord on another planet after losing a duel of honor and superiority to my sister. I was taken to a chamber where I awaited War World to collect me. Disobedience, no matter how much we wished to not go, would bring dishonor to my family and people, although, I do not know how long I was contained."

Listening carefully, Conner picked up on her heartbeat, which didn't skip once to confirm she was not lying.

"Hold on," Cassie interjected, "I have to know something, if you fought Superboy, Miss Martian, Beast Boy, Blue Beetle, and me, then why did you make out with dark avenger here?"

Starfire tilted her head to the side with a quizzical look crossing her face. "Make…out?"

"She means, why did you kiss Nightwing, Starfire?" M'gann cleared up.

"Oh, that was so I may understand your language. We Tamerans can become fluent in any language by contact. It's just more fun to kiss males for me." She then looked at Conner. "I was going to kiss you first but you became aggressive and rejected me. Then when I saw you had a mate and offspring-"

"Mate!" M'gann said surprised.

"Offspring!" Conner said, equally flabbergasted.

"What haven't you two told me?!" Garfield yelled at the two of them with narrowed eyes as he stuck his bottom lip out.

"They're not mated," Nightwing told the Tameran as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's…complicated between them."

"Oh," she looked at the three she thought were a family. "My apologies to you three. I misunderstood."

"That's…okay," M'gann said with a blush.

Conner placed his hands on his hips and turned around to face away from group, only to catch sight of the ones in the observation room. They were all laughing and pointing at him and M'gann, causing the Kryptonian to become irritated and sneer at them. None stopped their amusement at their teammates expense who tried to take his mind off of what just happened by looking away.

Smallville

August 01, 13:01 UTC

Several hundred feet below the surface of the farming community, a large, mostly empty room, hummed with the sound of large computer terminals lined up on a wall. Bright florescent lights illuminated the area as several men, and Lex Luther, stood before a marked off space on the floor. Thick red lines separated the safe zone, where they stood, from an 'NO STAND' space. Instantly, a large white light appeared before them, making a WHOOSHING sound as it took the form of a jagged, rotating circle. Stepping out from it was a large male with two others behind him, as well as a chronologically advanced woman wearing green, silver, and black heavy armor. She carried a rather nasty looking serrated spear in her right hand, decorated with what looked like strips of skin near its more deadly end.

"Vandal Savage, so nice of you to finally set foot back on Earth," Lex spoke up as the white light disappeared. "I take it everything is running smoothly on your end."

"Of course, everything is going according to plan." Taking a step to the side, Vandal allowed the old woman behind him to step forward.

"And who is this lovely woman?" Lex asked charmingly.

"Quiet, mortal. You do not speak until spoken to, understand?" The old woman moved her cape, which was covering her left arm, and produced a small vial with a gray sliver of what looked like skin inside. "Here is the weapon Lord Darkseid has produced to replace the one you lost so many years ago. Try not to misplace this one."

Taking the vial, Lex looked it over and raised an eyebrow. "How exactly is this supposed to end Superman and the other heroes?"

"You let it grow, you fool." Turning back to where the light was, the old woman pressed a button on her belt buckle and the light appeared once again. "Men, such useless fools." She then disappeared into the swirling light.

"Granny Goodness, ever the lady." Turning to face Lex, Vandal looked around the room and nodded with satisfaction. "I take it the League and their team of sidekicks have not found this place?"

"On the contrary," Lex said as he continued looking at the weapon in his hand. "They have discovered the room we wanted them to. About fifteen miles away that is. I had a Boom Tube open up there to lure them where we want. This room is completely sealed off from the outside world and no evidence of Boom Tube activity can escape these walls. The weapon will not be found until we want it to be."

"And the League will be none the wiser as to what I, G. Gordon Godfrey have in store for them." The reporter, who was a henchman for Darksied, stepped forward and took a seat at one of the computers lined on the wall. "Now to see what's happened since my stay on Apokilips."

"While we leave our…publicist to his own doings, I would like to have Desaad go over the specifics of the weapon The Light has procured. For this will bring about the League's and more specifically, both Superman and Superboy's downfall."

The gray sliver within the vial Lex held shivered slightly.

Batcave

August 01, 17:57 UTC

Within the dark confines of the secret headquarters of Batman, Dick Grayson was busy packing his duffle bags again with the objective being to return to the North Pole. He had stayed home long enough and was anxious to get back to searching for clues to bring Wally West back. So far he had found nothing besides an imprint in the snow where the Reach's machine had expanded. A new tent was loaded in the Batplane as were trunks of supplies. Now, it was only a matter of gathering the proper gear for his stay in the harsh arctic environment.

"Continuing your search I see." Entering the cave, Bruce Wayne, in his workout clothes, strode up to the side of the bat themed vehicle Dick was packing.

After loading another case of supplies, Dick wiped his brow of sweat. "Yeah, Kaldur still has control of The Team, so that leaves me free to look for clues up there."

"Don't think of me as the bad guy in all of this, but…you have found nothing the two days you were up there. The samples you ran here in the cave didn't reveal anything and scans from space satellites taken on that day have not shown anything besides what your group witnessed. Maybe it's time you-"

"Bruce, I know what you are going to say and I'm not going to stop searching for clues. The only thing I have right now is the fact there is absolutely no sign of Wally ever being there. It's as if he were simply erased from existence."

"Dick, you know that's not possible. Even upon a complete molecular breakdown there would be evidence left."

"That's my point."

Looking over his friend and adopted son, Bruce let out a sigh and shook his head. "I know what you're saying. But right now, there are other pressing matters you need to attend to. I need you here."

"But Bruce-"

"Dick, Ra's has been resurrected. Intergang has suddenly disappeared from under us, Luther's new drink is fixing to go into production, files taken from his companies still need to be looked through, and this new alien Alpha Team brought back needs to be looked after. I'm putting you in charge of her well-being. With Kaldur commanding the rest, you are the most logical choice to pick as a second in command. He can't do everything by himself. As a mentor, a friend, I'm asking you to put your search for answers about Wally on hold for now and help your teammates. If my theory is correct, they'll need you now more than ever."

Shaking his head, Dick leaned on the plane with one arm supporting him. "I won't give up on my best friend, Bruce."

"I would never ask you to. But as a member, a founding member of the black ops team, please, be there for them until any sign of a threat has passed. After that, I'll help you search for clues pertaining to Wallace West myself."

"Mind if I hold you to that promise?"

"I've never lied to you, Dick."

Walking up to his longtime friend, Dick extended his right arm and shook hands with Bruce.

"The moment I find something on Wally, you will be the first to know."


	7. Chapter 7

2.

Watchtower

August 04, 10:11 UTC

"Alright, next vic, I mean volunteer." Standing in the middle of the Watchtower's training area, Black Canary kept her eye on everyone assembled around her in the hopes they caught what she said. An irritated expression crossed her face when no one stepped up or commented on her words.

Assembled in their uniforms were the newer additions to the League's Black Ops Team. Lagoon Boy, Static, Wonder Girl, Impulse, Blue Beetle, and Guardian. Batgirl kept track of each team member's score as Bumblebee limped off the training floor.

"WAKE UP!" The blonde's words were backed up by a Canary Cry, forcing the assembled team to jump in their seats. "I know you all are feeling strung out. I know each of you have other things on your mind beside being in space in a sparring session with me, but, and this I cannot stress enough, when you are in a situation such as this it is important you learn to operate at one hundred percent awareness instead of ten percent."

Her eyes scanned the, still, heroes in training. "Karen, you showed bad judgment with that areal maneuver you tried and left yourself wide open for an attack. If this were a real fight, you would be dead. Cassie, you need to quit relying on only your strength. You have a great mind when it comes to battle tactics but seem to have slacked off when using them lately, get it together. Bart, if you're going to mouth off during your engagement, make sure you don't get lost in what you have to say and fall victim to an attack."

"Or just keep your mouth shut, period," La'gaan said as he slouched down in his seat.

"And the Atlantean finally speaks up." Looking over at the aquatic team member, Black Canary waved him over to her. "Get up here, you're next."

"Kaldur and my king handle my combat training now. I really don't need to do this."

"Now, La'gaan."

"Then perhaps I would be more suitable to handle your spar today, La'gaan." Walking in through the entrance from the hall, Kaldur stood right behind where his fellow merman sat. "Your combat training does not only occur in Atlantis but here as well. It is only your sorcery training that needs to be handled in the conservatory back home."

"Ka…Kaldur," the fish-boy stammered.

"Would you like to take over with him?" Black Canary asked.

With a nod, Kaldur switched places with his past instructor. "It would be most appreciated."

"Hate to be you, _pescado_," Jaime said as La'gaan stood up.

As both Atlantieans stood in the training area, Kaldur took off the red shirt he usually wore. The black eel tattoos he had on his arms had extended to cover his pectoral muscles and upper back, making La'gaan's red eyes grow wider, if that were possible given their bulbous appearance to begin with.

"You…you…" the fish faced team member stuttered.

"La'gaan, I will not use my advanced electrical powers during our skirmish. You may use your powers as you see fit, but know I will not go easy on you."

Puffing himself up, La'gaan assumed his larger torso size with little legs but hesitated upon attacking. The sight alone of his superior's tattoos was enough to make him think twice. Only those who were a master with their chosen elemental magics were decorated as such. For Kaldur to have his eels completed like that, he would have had to be further trained by his father, Black Manta, during his undercover mission then later tested by their king.

"Attack when ready." Upon his words, Kaldur turned to face away from him and flexed his arms low in front of him as if her were meditating.

What happened in the next few moments made everyone reconsider ever zoning out during a skirmish exercise ever again. As La'gaan attacked, Kaldur reached for his Water Bearers and snagged his foe's wrist with one as the other wrapped around one of his disproportionate legs. With one swift pull, Kaldur yanked the green fish-boy off his feet and quickly wrapped his water weapons around his neck. The skirmish was over before it even had a chance to begin.

"In reference for the future," Kaldur said as he leaned close to one of La'gaan's fined ears, "you are to listen and follow all orders a League member gives you in accordance to a mission or training. You were chosen to represent Atlantis and our king as well as myself. Understood?"

"Yeah, under, understood." After shrinking back to his regular size, La'gaan was allowed to stand as Kaldur deactivated his weapons.

"You show great potential, La'gaan. You just need to learn to follow orders and have patience with your squad mates. You, as well as the others, are the future of this team, the team myself, Dick, and Wally began so long ago and one day will officially pass the torch on to you all."

La'gaan nodded as Kaldur patted him on the shoulder then turned to Black Canary. "Black Canary, may I have a word with you for a moment?"

"Of course, Kaldur," Black Canary answered. "But can this wait until after training?"

"I am afraid not. I will not need more than ten minutes of your time."

"Alright. Team, Batgirl is in charge until I return. She will spar with those who haven't gone yet."

Jaime, Virgil, and Mal all nodded as they sat straight up in their seats, afraid to find out what the consequences could be if they failed to pay attention this time.

It didn't take long for Kaldur to get down to business once he and Black Canary were in one of the conference rooms down the hall. Aquaman was already in there with a holographic representation of Hawaii in the middle of the conference table.

"I will make this short and to the point," Kaldur said as his king had the 3D model grow larger. "It has come to our attention a new threat has appeared around the islands of Hawaii. It was first brought to my attention by several of my peers at the conservatory with King Orion learning of it shortly after."

"There is a new threat to the planet's oceans and the oceanic state," King Orion stated. "An old foe and partner of Ocean master named Trident has made himself known after being believed to be dead. Reports first had him appear off the coast of Lanai with what appeared to be several barrels of radioactive waste. He was believed to be an old legend of the natives until he appeared off the coast of Maui and Molokai. Each time, he was moving barrels of radioactive waste around what some believe to be underwater caves."

"And it gets worse from there." Pulling up the three named islands, Kaldur pointed at three red dots indicating each sighting. "All happened a few minutes of each other, leading us to believe he may have a teleportation device of some sort. If that is the case, Hawaii's chain of islands is in immediate danger."

Looking over what was presented to her, Black Canary formed calculations in her head from seeing the times. "All are three to five minutes apart and five to ten miles from land. King Orion, what do you request?"

"It's not me who has the request. I need to make sure my kingdom is not in any danger. I have been getting reports of strange activity around its perimeter where the light is dimmest. Kaldur is the one in need of your assistance."

"Black Canary," Kaldur began, "if I may ask; I would like to send a team into the area for reconnaissance and capture."

"Who do you have in mind?" Black Canary asked.

"The most logical choice in this matter would be for myself, La'gaan, Beast Boy, and perhaps Superboy. We would need three underwater team members and someone seasoned to stay on land to investigate any land entrances to underwater caves."

"Are you sure four operatives will be enough?"

"I am not sure of anything going in. But if we need backup, we'll radio you immediately. We'll also need clearance for a boat large enough to sail around the islands when we apprehend him or if one of us needs assistance from land."

"Okay. I'll arrange every-"

It was then when the three heard loud screams coming from the main Zeta Tube chamber.

**Five minutes ago**:

**Recognize, Artemis, B, Zero, Six.**

The loud robotic female voice of the computer rang out over the immediate vicinity of the main gathering area, which also served as the Zeta Tube chamber. Standing patiently as the Vietnamese woman appeared at the top of a flight of steps, M'gann, Zatanna, and Raquel greeted their old friend as she descended the stairs and hugged each one of them.

"Where have you been, girl?" Raquel asked. "You've been MIA since last week."

"Yeah," Zatanna said, "you're not going solo are you?"

"Not exactly." Looking at each of her longtime friends, Artemis bit her lip nervously. "I, uh, I called you all here to tell you something."

"Well, what is it?" Raquel asked. "I'm due for a mission with Black Lightning in an hour."

A smile formed across the archer's face. It was contagious as the other girls developed one without knowing why. "I'm pregnant."

"Come again?" Zatanna said with her eyes growing wide.

"I'm pregnant."

"Say again?" M'gann said with her smile widening.

"I'm pregnant."

"One more time." Raquel said.

"I'M PREGNANT!" Artemis shouted.

As one, the girls all screamed in excitement with a rush of questions blurted out.

"How far along are you?"

"When did you find out?"

"Have you gotten a sonograph yet?"

"When are you due?"

"Any idea of the gender?"

"Any idea for a name?"

"Stupid question we already know the answer to but, who's the father?"

"Um," Artemis said with a laugh. "In order, seven weeks, about a week ago, not yet but I will tomorrow, around March, no idea, no idea, and who do you think?"

"We heard screaming!" Virgil, also known as Static yelled as he and several others entered the room. "What's wrong?"

"Artemis is pregnant!" Raquel yelled as she hugged the expecting mother.

"No way!" Cassie said as she rushed over to the group of girls.

"Congratulations." Kaldur stated as he walked over and took Artemis into a hug after Cassie finished with her spinning one.

"Thanks, Kal." Artemis said as she returned his hug.

"Wally would be proud. Even more so than the rest of us could ever be."

"You do know what this means, don't you?" Black Canary asked.

"Shower!" shouted Zatanna whose face immediately turned red. "S…sorry. Just excited."

"Oh no, a shower's not necessary." Turning to the Martian, Artemis sent her a mental message. "_You have better give me a baby shower or I'll make sure this kid's first bow hunt involves every one of my old team mates at the end of an arrow."_

Laughing over the telepathic link, M'gann responded, "_Of course you're getting one. And this time around no villains will be ruining it._"

"_What do you mean by that_?"

"_I'll tell you later_."

"What is this about a shower?" Starfire asked as she entered the room with Hal Jordan and Wonder Woman. She still wore her silver suit. "Does someone smell offensively?"

"Who's the orange beanpole?" Artemis asked.

"Long story," M'gann told her. "Short version is she's a new team member in training."

"And she dresses like a baked sweet potato? She needs a costume change."

"We're working on it," Zatanna said.

"Artemis is pregnant?!" Garfield shouted as he ran into the room.

"How'd you know about that?"

"Super hearing," Conner said as he, Wolf, and Sphere came in last. "Heard you four from the forest room."

Apokolips

August 06, 12:59 UTC

Upon the seemingly lifeless red, industrial-like planet, Apokolips, a bright light formed behind a large figure as he overlooked the place he ruled with an unyielding fist. Red eyes swept across a fire laden environment with metal structures serving as buildings where his war machines were being made. Although the planet looked as if it were hot, his gray skin showed no signs of perspiration despite being covered by a suit of heavy metallic armor.

Large pillars spewed black smoke and the rarely seen person scuttled across open areas to get from building to building for as they all knew, if they do not work, they may as well forfeit their lives. Even so, they all worshipped their ruler who was a God to them. Where others could see them as brainwashed or forced to worship him, the inhabitants of the planet were actually of their own free will.

"My Lord," the woman known as Granny Goodness addressed the figure in front of her. Placing her spear firmly on the ground, she knelt down and bowed her head. "I have come from Earth and checked on the weapon you have so generously made for the one called Savage."

"And how is my child developing, Granny Goodness?" Stepping from a darkened area, Desaad picked his head up, giving the elder woman a view of his disfigured face.

"I was addressing the Lord on High." If there were any more venom in her voice, all inhabitants on the planet would have perished by now.

"And yet, as its creator, I need to know how it is developing. The sample from the Match clone was barely enough to add to its lineage. But Mongol's DNA-"

"What lineage?" Granny asked as she stood. "You created that thing in a laboratory."

"With my master's permission and blessing. A Kryptonian is impossible to clone without the side effects the first one ran into. If its DNA hadn't broken down like it did, Savage and his cohorts would not have attempted to create the hybrid nor would they have requested my intellect. Be honored you will be able to see my creation, the real weapon the so called Light wanted."

"Be honored you're standing in the presence of a true warrior. I live for battle in the name of my lord while you hide behind a closed door."

"What I do should be of no concern to you I-"

With a raise of his hand, the dark figure brought his two minions to a halt. Both knew better than to continue with their bickering and risk his wrath.

"Is there anything you needed to report, Granny Goodness?" Darksied asked as he continued to overlook the planet he ruled.

"My Lord, the weapon grows without any problems. However, the mortals wish to accelerate its maturity by putting it in the pod they grew the previous two in. I made it perfectly clear this would be a mistake by using one of their scientists as an example. They are now willing to wait the required time for it to gestate from its self-created womb."

"And what of the protectors?" Desaad asked. "Are they aware of the weapon?"

"No. But a small group, four of them, are breaking off from the majority. One of them is the second project Savage and his worthless mortals let slip through their fingers."

"My Lord," Desaad said as he knelt at Darksied's feet. "Please, allow me to order War World to target and eliminate the orbiting base while the protectors are all in it. One swift blast will-"

"The lord and master does not take such cowardly measures," Granny sternly said as Desaad stood back up. "He battles with honor and would sooner destroy you than do something such as that. My Lord, please allow me to take my furies to intercept the group. We will crush them and be rid of four protectors and-"

Again, Darksied raised his hand to silence her. "You may leave for Earth but without your furies. I want to see what this…super…boy, can do against one of our creations." Turning to face his top general, he stood before her with his hands clasped behind his back. "Take pod four and have it do battle when he is alone as you monitor the engagement, but do not interfere."

With a bow, Granny Goodness took her leave as Desaad took a step closer to their Lord. "If it is not a bother asking, why will you not consider taking out the protectors with one strike? You send Granny away without her furies but order her to take one of the captured earthlings I experimented on. Why not take the first and final strike?"

Turning back to face his kingdom, Darksied replied, "It would only serve to rally others to take up their places. The Light tried to bring their enemies down from within. The Reach tried to conquer them by an elaborate ruse. When the time comes, I will conquer the only way a true god would…by a full frontal, soul shattering assault. Meet your enemies. Degrade your enemies. Crush your enemies. And if there are any survivors…enslave your enemies."

**AN: To the guest commenter who asked what the slivering gray mass is, I will confirm it is defiantly not any of his guesses. But don't worry, things will be revealed in due time.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Quick AN: If parts of this and the next chap sound familiar, it's because I used an episode of Teen Titans and Superman for inspiration. It just fits in well with what I'm doing. And as for .Boss' question, with as popular as the character seems to be, I plead the fifth.**

3.

Hawaii – Maui

August 09, 13:32 UTC

Underneath the shade of a bungalow erected over the water, Conner stood with his arms crossed over his chest and a book in his hands as he had his eyes closed and went over the events leading him to his current location. He had finally relented to changing out of his usual pants and black shirt combo and was now in a pair of navy blue and red board shorts with a white tank top on and wore a pair of Sanuk Vagabond sidewalk surfers. Garfield, who wore a glamor charm like La'gaan, had taken the liberty of getting him a pair of sunglasses once they landed at the airport, thankfully he picked out a pair of aviators and not the ones with circular lenses. He also sported a light coating of stubble to help with his overall undercover look.

Upon arriving in Hawaii via a pontoon plane paid for by Batman, the four man team immediately went about obtaining a small yacht that was suitable for their mission, also provided by The Dark Knight. The customized white and blue vessel was equipped with two matching detachable jet skis in the back and enough room to fit at least ten people comfortably. They would have been out on the water faster had it not have been for a man dressed in black with a flak jacket covering his torso stopping them, seeking information on someone he was hunting to capture. The four couldn't keep from staring at his long blond hair, which seemed to mimic an incoming wave on top. Garfield was the only one who knew who he was and was star struck by the man he referred to as Dog. He even obtained an autograph and a quick picture with the bounty hunter as a souvenir.

After a crash course in piloting a water craft by Kaldur, Conner sailed the vessel around to each of the spots where Trident was seen. Lagoon Boy was deployed first with a pack of underwater detection equipment to plant around the coast as he searched for the oceanic criminal; Conner was all too glad to leave him behind. Beast Boy was second with his pack and had morphed into a sailfish to go about his designated perimeter. He had to quickly morph into a Barracuda when a fisherman tried to chase him down and capture him. Kaldur was last and was situating his pack on his back when he turned to his fellow veteran.

"Conner, a moment before I begin my search."

Joining the dark skinned Atlantean portside, Conner, for the first time, slipped a ball cap on his head to block the bright sun overhead as well as look like just another fisherman on the water. "Anything wrong?" He tossed a treat towards Wolf who wasted no time in gobbling it up.

"I have seen the way you have been acting around La'gaan and vice versa. I just want to remind you we all need to work as a team. Personal differences must be put aside when we are on the clock as the mission comes first."

"Yeah, I know that."

"Do you? You barely speak or acknowledge La'gaan and simply threw his gear in his chest before he was deployed. I have also noticed he has taken to ignore Garfield when he should be working with him. I do not know what happened during my undercover mission but after seeing how you three behave towards each other at the Watchtower, I specifically chose you for this mission in hopes you three will find a way to work as a unit. Before we continue any further, I need to know if you are capable of putting whatever grudge you have against him aside for the time being as our lives may depend on it."

Walking over and standing face to face with Kaldur, Conner tipped the brim of his hat up and placed his hands on his hips. "The parts you don't know about, we'll work through it in our own way. If you have to know, yes, there are hard feelings between the three of us but nothing that would interfere with a mission. I know better than to turn my back on a teammate and so does Gar. I can't speak for La'gaan though."

Kaldur couldn't tell if Conner was narrowing his eyes because of how bright it was or if he was agitated. "Perhaps you should tell me what has happened between you three. A team does not need any animosity towards each other. If that should happen, we fail."

"Again, I know that." A beeping occurred, drawing Conner's attention to his watch. "You should go. I gotta get back to Maui and meet that tour guide to search the volcanoes."

"Very well, my friend. Batgirl hacked the computers, making you the only one taking the tour today. Remember, the business is called Moonlight Tours and her name is Tana. And remember, stay undercover with that tourist charade and alias Black Canary assigned you with. Good luck."

"Back at you."

"And one more thing, you really should dress more appropriately. Dark clothing makes you stick out like a sore thumb in the middle of what others have deemed 'paradise', especially when we are supposed to be incognito."

"Says the fish guy wearing his mission gear."

"Yes, well, maybe when we're off the clock and can afford to have some fun."

The two clasped hands in a bro shake before Kaldur dove into the water.

Back in the real world, under the shade of the bungalow, a Hawaiian beauty wearing light tan capris and a yellow bikini top, making her skin look even more bronze than it was, made her way along the wooden dock surrounding the structure. A bright yellow duffel bag hung over her left shoulder and was obviously empty given how it sagged in the middle. One look at the young man leaning against the building had her lowering her large white oval sunglasses to get a good look at his body.

"Excuse me," the woman said as she came up to him. "Are you here for the volcanic tour?"

Coming out of his thoughts, Conner turned to look at her and tucked the copy of '_Princess of Mars_' in a pocket as he remembered what Black Canary told him. It was time to get in touch with his 'inner Wall-Man'.

"That's right…babe. The name's Tommy Oliver, and you are?" He was thankful the glasses were on as he felt his eye twitch from being out of his usual demeanor. He could also hear Wolf let out a sound akin to something of a groan as he lay just out of view around the corner of the bungalow.

"Um, I'm Tana Moon, owner of Moonlight Tours with my father," she said with a raised eyebrow. "Are you the only one here?"

"Yeah. I thought this was a popular tour with the beautiful scenery." He leaned in close. "And the gorgeous guide." If there was a way to make this day go faster, he would undoubtedly take it.

"Well…I, uh, just need to go inside and get some supplies for the trip. And you may want to get some sunscreen. We'll be out there for about three hours plus twenty minutes to get there and twenty to get back. We'll also be arriving back here around the start of the weekly luau on the beach."

"That's fine…Tana…licious. I'll be ready."

As the young woman went inside the building, Conner let out a breath and desperately wished he didn't have to act this way when he heard Wolf give a questioning whimper. "What? At least you don't have to be someone you're not."

The genetically altered animal gave another questioning sound.

"Just stay out of sight. Go back to the boat, guard it, and wait until I come back."

After receiving a stroke to the head, the obedient animal leapt under the dock and took off towards the waiting yacht.

Inside the Bungalow, Tana pulled several bottles from the refrigerator and stuffed them into her bag. Granola bars and trail mix were grabbed next. She had to admit, the tourist looked good, better than some of the others she had, but the way he came off with his flirting, if you could call it that, set her bull-spit radar off. She had guys flirt with her before while taking them on the tour but this guy's exploits seemed…forced. If it weren't for his looks and muscles, she would have already written him off.

Fifteen Miles Form Molokai's Shore:

Fifteen miles off the shore of the Molokai coast, a green barracuda swam around several underwater rocks with a near empty bag in its mouth. Coming to a stop, it morphed into an octopus and took out a small hand-sized device. Using the tip of a tentacle, the cephalopod mollusk activated the machine before planting it within an inset of a small reef.

Unknown to him, a pair of eyes kept a close watch as the body they were attached to was hidden under the sand. Tiny bottom feeding fish swiftly moved from the spot as the granules began to move under them. A leg emerged from the loose sand first with an arm and chest soon after. Green scaly skin appeared to be melting as the grit fell from it and a mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth slightly parted to take in a breath of underwater air.

As the green octopus swam on and changed into a barracuda again, the hidden creature emerged fully from its blanket of sand with a long, bronze trident aiding it in getting to its feet.

Ten Miles From Lanai's Shore:

"Last detector in place." Lagoon Boy spoke into his communicator. "Moving back to the coast to investigate that enclave I found."

"Copy that, Lagoon Boy," Aqualad answered. "I also have found a hidden cave I intend to search. Make sure you maintain radio contact at all times."

"Copy that."

Taking off from the underwater rock formation the last of the underwater devices was set up at, Lagoon Boy made his way back to the semi-hidden cave he found during his first sweep of the area. Behind him, a clawed, scaly hand gripped onto the side of the rocky structure the machine was planted at and hoisted the body of Trident up. He then aimed his weapon at the fish faced Atlantean and charged it up to deliver a blast.

Fifteen Miles From Maui's Shore:

Nearing the cave he had informed his squad mate about, Aqualad found himself at a dead end only fifteen feet inside the cavity. It didn't feel right. Even below the surface, water would still flow between the cracks of a rock wall with small animals swimming through as well. Further investigation was warranted in which he unsheathed a water bearer and had it form into a thin blade as he poked it into the cracks between the rocks. It would only go in a few inches before it would hit something solid.

"It is a solid wall. What are you hiding here, Trident?"

The sound of something making its way through the water caught Aqualad's attention, forcing him to move as an energy blast hit the wall where he was. Rock exploded outward, revealing a solid metal wall blocking the entrance into the cave.

"Aqualad to Beast Boy and Lagoon Boy, I am under attack from Trident. Repeat, I am-"

"You're not the only one!" Lagoon Boy yelled into his com unit. "He caught me from behind and I- Agh!"

"La'gaan! La'gaan, come in!" Another blast came close to striking Aqualad, causing more debris to surround him.

Forming a shield with one Water Bearer, Aqualad had the second one take the form of a sword and charged ahead to meet his enemy head on. Both met up after a few meters and engaged in a vicious fight. Trident went to spear the Atlantean hero but was blocked and forced to dodge a sword strike. A kick to the stomach had Aqualad double over with a knee meeting his jaw. After yelling something in Atlantian, Trident wound up to bury his weapon in the back of his foe's head but was blocked and smashed with said fighter's shield.

Not letting that stop him, the fish-like criminal fired a point blank blast and hit Aqualad's shield. The dark skinned hero flew back through the water and crashed into the cave's indent. Another blast caused several rocks to fall on top of him.

As the cloud of silt and sand cleared, Trident swam to where his fallen foe lay and looked the area over. Without a word being said, he pressed a switch on his trident and waited for the metal door to open. As he swam through the opening with the door closing behind him, a hardened liquefied 'T' formed right before it had time to close completely.

Maui Island

August 09, 15:58 UTC

For the last two hours, Tana Moon had been showing Conner around the island. Since arriving at the start of her tour in her jeep, the two journeyed on foot along trails through the Hawaiian jungles. He had to admit it was nice with all the quiet around and only the sounds of the ocean and various animals breaking it. If it weren't for his tour guide, he would have brought Wolf with him and let his pet run around all he wanted. Trees swayed gently in the breeze with the smell of the tropical flowers wafting around them. Occasionally, they would come across a native animal Tana was more than happy to tell him about, like the various birdlife perching just off the trails.

"And now, we are at the base of the dormant West Maui Volcanoes where I wanted to show you this. It's a grotto that is very popular with couples," Tana informed him. "As I said, the volcanoes here are dormant with a small eruption happening not long ago. If you come here at night though, I guarantee you it does make for a romantic sight. Couples have been known to frequent these spots and since it's pretty much private out here, it makes for a nice getaway. Legend has it, the islands of Hawaii have been blessed by the Goddess of Fire, Pele and because of that, we have some of the most fertile soil in the world."

"Um, right. And I bet you would like to see it with me sometime…babe. I guarantee it'll be a hot night for us." Oh how he hated trying to act like a horn dog, he quickly came to the conclusion he was no good at it. Despite that little inconvenience, he had spotted several strange openings in the side of the volcano Tana admitted to not being there until recently.

"Look, I get it," she told him as she came to a stop in the middle of the trail. "Since I started doing tours for my father, I've run into guys with only one thing on their mind but you by far are the worst. It's obvious you're not even close to being yourself, which is a drag cause…you're hot."

Conner shifted slightly where he stood when she called him that. "Um, of, of course I'm being myself. I pick up girls all the time, some literally."

"Why don't you be yourself? Be the real Tommy, whoever he is." She sat her duffle bag down and headed over to the hot spring. "I'm tired. What say we relax for a bit, jump in, and you show me the real you?"

She then unbuttoned the top of her capris and slid them down as she kicked off her untied tennis shoes. Having a little fun, she made sure to give her tourist an eye full as she turned to face him in a yellow thong bikini. She grinned to herself when she saw his reaction and turned his head as she fanned out her long black hair, swearing he turned a shade of crimson as he looked away.

"What's wrong, you never seen a _wahine_ in a swimsuit before?" The grin stayed on her face as she pushed her chest out.

"No…I mean…yes. I've, I've seen girls in bikinis before."

"Then what's the problem? Don't tell me you've never had a girlfriend."

"I did, er, do, um, I, uhh…shouldn't we be getting on with the tour?"

Letting out a snicker, Tana casually strode up to him. "On one condition, you tell me how I look in my Bikini, and jump into the water with me for a bit."

Relenting, Conner looked back down at the forward girl and looked her over. She had a rather nice build with long, toned legs and a rear that poked out a little further than Barbra's. The only girl he'd seen wearing anything close to what she had on would be Cassie as Karen and Raquel always wore a one piece. Artemis and Zatanna would wear a more conservative bikini and M'gann had always worn a hipster bikini top and bottom.

"Well, how do I look, big guy?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Conner searched for the words to describe how she looked. "Well, um-"

"If you don't like her," asked a female voice from above them, "than how about me?"

Sweeping in from the air, a tall red headed woman in a tight red outfit stopped just short of the two. Her long hair flowed behind her, reaching down to her ankles and seemed to glow with power of its own. Dark red boots reached halfway up her calf where red leather hip huggers took over. Her crimson top made sure her toned stomach showed as well as her cleavage thanks to a circular cutout in the material. Completing her look were red bands on each bicep and red gloves.

"Cutie, if you don't think she's hot, wait until you get a load of me." The woman's eyes flashed orange as flames covered her body from her display of power.


	9. Chapter 9

4.

Unknown Underwater Cavern

August 09, 16:27 UTC

Water dripped from stalactites inside a gloomy, humid cavern as the nearby water reflected a soft blue light onto the rock. Moisture was in great supply as the smooth stone walls seemed to sweat a slick liquid with puddles full of the salt laden water.

Coming to, La'gaan moaned as he lifted his head. The last thing he could remember was being hit from behind and shooting forward into the sandy floor of the ocean. He managed to get back up to his feet when the end of Trident's weapon collided with his head then blackness surrounded him. Blood dripped from the side of his face as a large welt formed between his left eye and ear fin. With a hand over his wound, he turned over and lay on his back as he let out another groan. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the darker environment but once it did, he got a good idea as to what was around him.

"Neptune's beard!" La'gaan shouted. His voice echoed back to him, making his headache worse.

Slowly standing up, he quickly lost his balance and caught himself on the edge of a metallic object to the side. It was impossible to tell what it was by touch alone but whatever it was, it was around waist high with a circular top. Reaching for a built-in side pocket on the knee length tights he wore, he pulled out a plastic tube, shook, and bent it in half. The object cracked and let out a soft purple light.

"A barrel?" He looked around the outside on the container until he came across large lettering with a radioactive sign painted near the top. "Waste. Why is there radioactive waste…here?"

Looking behind the barrel, La'gaan's eyes grew wide when he saw at least a dozen more of the barrels tucked neatly in the corner of the cavern.

He pressed a finger to his ear, activating his com unit. "Aqualad, come in."

Nothing but static came through.

"Aqualad. Aqualad!"

As he continued to try to raise his squad leader, a hiss echoed around the cavern. Turning around swiftly, La'gaan searched the near darkness with his light held up high. The hiss came again, this time to his right. He could still barely see anything when the hiss sounded once more, this time from above.

The moment he looked toward the ceiling, Trident bared his jagged teeth and leapt down on him with claws outstretched. The Atlantian didn't have time to puff himself up to fight as the scaled villain swiped wildly at any exposed area he could find. The purple light La'gaan once held had fallen out of his hand and rolled into the water.

Maui

August 09, 16:31 UTC

"This is the most fun I've had in years!" Flying above the tour guide and her tourist, the fire woman formed another fireball and hurled it at the two in order to keep them in one spot.

Diving out of the way, Conner rolled in the grass as the ball of fire erupted behind him. Tana had taken cover behind a nearby tree and was trying to get a signal on her cell phone. She cursed her luck as she was too far from the city for her phone to work. Looking at the super powered woman and her tourist, she saw Tommy nearly struck by one of the flaming projectiles and was now at the mercy of the woman. Why she was targeting him, she didn't know. Reaching down, Tana grabbed a fallen coconut and hurled it at the flying woman. She cursed herself again as she watched it sail right past the flying woman.

"Wanna play catch, trollop? Here, catch this!"

Forming yet another fireball, the woman flung it towards Tana who took cover behind her tree and let out a scream as the projectile exploded a few feet from her. Instead of staying where it landed, the fire from it encircled the tree she took cover behind and began to slowly close in on her.

"I'll be sure to take care of your boyfriend for ya!" the woman yelled as she went back to fighting Conner. The moment she turned around, she found he wasn't there anymore. "Now, where did my little play thing go – TUGH!"

Taking her by surprise, Conner tackled her from behind and slammed the fire conjurer into the ground, leaving her dazed.

"Tana!" he yelled as he rushed over to the large ring of fire that was slowly constricting.

"Tommy, help!" The fire was all but at her heels as she clutched to the tree whose large green palms were just beginning to burn.

With no time to lose, Conner ran to another close by tree and delivered a hard Spartan-like kick to its base. Half of the roots burst out of the ground from the forceful impact. Grabbing hold of the trunk, he then put his weight into it and pulled the tree down, creating a bridge across the flames.

"Tana, this way!"

Grabbing his hand, Tana hurried across the tree to safety when Conner was hit on the side by a fireball. Letting out a scream, she ran to where her rescuer had landed when she saw him get back to his feet without a single scratch on him, aside from a few scorch marks to his clothing that is.

"Wha…what are you? Who are you?" she stuttered before being pushed aside as he took a powerful leap and attacked the woman above them.

Within the jungle, well away from the battle, Granny Goodness kept her eyes on the woman and Superboy. The binoculars she used were of Apocaliptian origin and took specific notes on the Krypto-human hybrid by scanning him with every movement he took. Records of how he fought and moved were stored in a virtual file inside the vision enhancers.

The fight didn't end long after that as the flying woman charged directly at the powerhouse and was flipped over his head in a counter move. She came to a crash behind him as she fell in the grotto and was instantly extinguished. Letting out a loud, pain filled scream, the woman fell to her knees and landed face down in the water with white smoke rising up from her body.

"This Kryptionian is getting to be more of a nuisance than anticipated. Didn't take him long to take Volcana down. The master will not be pleased." Activating a wrist mounted device, Granny Goodness summoned a Boom Tube to take her, as well as Volcana, back to Apokolips.

"What was…how did…who…who are you?" Tana struggled to say as Conner searched where Volcana disappeared. "Tommy?!"

Getting out of the knee high water, Conner trudged back to dry land and looked the area over. With no sign of the woman, he pressed two fingers to his ear mounted com unit.

"Aqualad, come in." When no answer came he tried twice more but still couldn't make contact with the field leader.

Hearing the sound of dirt shuffling, Conner turned to see Tana running back the way they came. Worry crossed him for a moment as he thought of her calling the cops and having them search for him; however, that was soon dismissed as they would be looking for Tommy Oliver and he would be long gone by then.

Letting out a huff, he reached into a pocket and pulled out a cell phone sized device. With a press of a button, the small machine popped open, allowing him to flip it around and snap it back together in the shape of a handgun.

"Hope your gizmo works, Dick. Really don't want to get lost in a cave." With a strong leap, Conner made his way to the openings in the side of the volcano.

Underwater cavern – Maui area

August 09, 16:52 UTC

With the sound of dripping water around him, Aqualad, having activated his stealth tech, quietly made his way further through a vast corridor leading from the ocean. The walls were faintly glowing from a unique form of algae he recognized was from Atlantis, providing barely enough light to see. After several hundred yards, he had reached what looked like a cave entrance to the water and continued after trident, putting him in his current position. It was just a matter of keeping quiet and making sure the aquatic villain was always in his sights.

Before entering through the door, Aqualad made sure to grab his pack from earlier and took out a compact device from it. After having it pop open and twisting the ends, it resembled a pistol with a screen on the side. Every so often, he would aim the machine ahead of him and pull the trigger, sending a high frequency shot down the corridor Trident was traveling through. He was unaware of what the hero was doing, as he continued forward.

A few seconds after firing the shot, the pistol's screen would light up and display a map of the corridor for the next hundred yards. It was unlike anything Aqualad had ever seen as a network of corridors and caverns was displayed to him along with his current position. None of it was naturally occurring, evident from the marks on the walls and false branch off points meant to confuse any unwelcome company.

Firing off another shot, Aqualad found a large cavern opening up some seventy three yards away when trident disappeared from view after rounding a corner. Taking hold of one of his Water Bearers, the dark skinned merman stayed on alert as he rounded the corner to find no one there. Not liking losing his quarry one bit, he checked his sonographer pistol and followed the main passageway to the entrance of the cavern.

With his eyes growing wide, Aqualad's jaw dropped at the sight before him. Aligned on the walls were large, pulsating yellow capsules resembling roach egg sacks. Literally hundreds of them were suspended from the floor to the ceiling with what looked like green, glowing veins attached to each one. Spread out on the cave's floor were dozens of yellow barrels with the radioactive symbol clearly displayed.

"What in the name of Poseidonis is going on here?" he asked as he took in everything he saw.

"Evolution," came a raspy voice from behind him a moment an energy beam cut through the air

The beam grazed Aqualad's arm, making him drop his mapping device as he formed a shield with his drawn Water Bearer. Another blast was fired and struck his shield, forcing him back a few feet but also allowing him to draw his second weapon.

Summoning the water from the puddles around them, Aqualad had the liquid solidify and bombard Trident to buy him time to go on the offensive. With an overhead swing, a water formed mace slammed on the ground, leaving a dent in the rock before changing into a whip and narrowly missed snagging the weapon from Trident's hands. He kept the attack up until his foe planted his spear in the rock and sent out a shockwave to knock Aqualad back.

Not giving him time to recover, Trident rushed the downed Atlantiean and prepared to bury his three pronged spear in his head when he was stopped by a leaping green tiger. Landing beside him, the animal took a defensive stance and roared at the fish villain.

"Your timing is most appreciated," Aqualad said as he got back to his feet. The tigerfied Beast Boy growled in acknowledgement.

Standing with a hiss, Trident took hold of his weapon and fired three energy blasts at the two who dodged out of the way. Aqualad was the first to strike as his water bearers took the form of swords and slammed down on the bronze spear. Beast Boy morphed into a python and wrapped around their enemy's legs, tripping him up before morphing into a gorilla and jumped onto Trident, crushing his chest and ending the fight.

"Garfield!" Aqualad yelled. "What did you-"

"It's okay, he's not real," Beast Boy said as he morphed back to his humanoid form. "Look, he dissolves. And he's not the only one."

Looking back at the defeated fish-man, Aqualad saw Beast Boy was right. The corpse of said individual began to bubble and melt before becoming nothing more than green slime on the floor.

"I fought one earlier and slammed him into a reef after I turned into a giant squid. He was hurt badly and I trailed him back to a hidden entrance. He turned to goo shortly after falling down in some sort of weapons room where another one of him attacked me."

Looking back up at the pods on the walls, Aqualad shook his head slowly. "Where is this weapons room?"

"About a half mile back where I-"

"Beast Boy, I think Trident was making an army of himself to concur my king's kingdom by using radioactive waste to fuel the process. We need to destroy these pods and find the others. Unfortunately my ear piece was lost in an earlier fight with Trident."

"I still have mine but I think it's being jammed."

"Then let us hurry and see what we can find to destroy these…cloning pods and pray Lagoon Boy and Superboy are not in the caverns with us."

Maui, Volcanic Entrance

August 09, 18:22 UTC

Thanks to the mapping device and a small flashlight he possessed, Superboy was able to traverse the underground corridors swiftly. He still didn't know how far or deep the actual corridors went, but was grateful he didn't have to waste time running down the ones leading to a dead end. Coming to a junction, he fired several sonic shots down each hallway and waited for the results. Two came back showing stopping points several yards away, one lead outside, another led to a large cavern, and the last continued onward.

"Tuh, might as well."

Taking off in a sprint, he hopped over stalagmites and uneven ground until he arrived in the targeted room. Inside was electrical equipment and radio transmitters sitting around the walls with spare parts nearby. Pocketing his mapper, Superboy looked each piece of equipment over when he discovered they were used in jamming radio signals and immediately went about switching them off before destroying them. Electrical pops and fizzles sounded around him as he turned to use his com unit.

"Aqualad, come in."

"Con…Superboy?" Aqualad responded. What happened? The radios were down."

"Whoever's behind this had jamming equipment. I couldn't get ahold of you until now. I'm inside one of the volcanos I was touring, about a mile below the surface and two miles from the shore as I can tell."

"Roger that, I have found a chamber where it appears Trident was cloning himself."

"What?"

"It is evident Trident was cloning himself down here in the underwater caverns he made with the radioactive material he has been seen with. Beast Boy is with me but his communicator is damaged and we are rigging the chamber to blow. Have you come across Lagoon Boy?"

"No, I haven't seen any sign of him since coming down here but we have another problem." Leaving the cave he was in, Superboy continued on his way deeper into the caverns, already guessing what Aqualad was going to have him do. "I was attacked on the surface by a woman with fire powers who disappeared in a Boom Tube after I beat her."

"There obviously is more to this than meets the eye. We will finish rigging the cloning pods and make our way to the surface with Beast Boy's mapping device. I need you to find Lagoon Boy for me and get yourselves out. Radio me when you two are clear."

"Copy that. I'll find him."


	10. Chapter 10

5.

Unknown Underwater Cavern – Site One

August 09, 18:53 UTC

"Okay, I think we're pretty much done here." Slapping his hands together, Beast Boy got any excess dirt off then stood back to check his and Aqualad's handy work.

Explosives from the weapons room the green boy found were planted every few feet between the mounted sacks. Wires ran from a single large detonator to every explosive pack near the bottom of the cave with each one in turn wired to the next one nearby. It had taken them a while but now, everything was in place.

"I agree," the team leader said. "I think we have rigged everything properly and need to set the timer for detonation."

"How long do you think we'll need?"

Picking up Trident's weapon, which had a switch for the hidden cavern entrances, Aqualad programmed the detonator. "Given how far below the surface we are and the length of the tunnel to the nearest exit, I would say at least five minutes to be clear. That means three to get to the closest corridor with an exit to the outside and two to get clear."

"Now we just need to wait for the other two."

"And let us hope they will not be long."

Unknown Underwater Cavern – Site Two

August 09, 18:55 UTC

Blood dripped from a gash in La'gaan's left arm as he made his way through the long dark corridor. He had a slight limp in his step as a nice, long slice made its way from his knee to the middle of his shin. Letting out an Atlantean curse, he stumbled over a rock and quickly picked himself back up to continue onward when he heard voices come over his earpiece.

"Aqualad? Aqualad, can you hear me? Su…Superboy, come in. Ragh!"

He could hear his team mates clearly but couldn't get a signal out to them. Reaching into his right side pocket, he pulled out another glowstick, shook it, and cracked it in half it replace the one he previously had. As he continued further, the heavy sound of footsteps ahead of him became clear. Judging by the pattern he heard, it wouldn't be long until he would meet up with the person who was making them.

Taking position at the passageway's bend, La'gaan puffed his torso up in case the incoming individual was a threat while hiding his light. Once the shadow's owner was close enough, he threw a hard right hook and connected with the individual's jaw.

"Gah!" a very familier voice said before letting out a growl. A clang echoed off the walls as the control portion of one of the Trident clones weapons fell to the floor.

"Co…Conner?" La'gann stammered.

"La'gaan?" Superboy asked as he imagined breaking the Atlantean's neck for the cheap shot. "What was that for?"

"Shut up." Lagoon Boy whispered. "I thought you were one of the Trident clones, chum."

Grabbing his partner, and trying not to kill him, Superboy drew him close and growled. "I'm not! And don't tell me to shut up! Now follow me so we can get out of here." Letting go, he turned to lead the way to the nearest exit. "Aqualad rigged a cave to blow and we need to get out."

"Trust me, you really need to keep quiet."

"What for?"

As if to answer Superboy's question, a roar erupted from where the shrinking fish humanoid came from.

"What was that?" Superboy asked as he picked up the control from the floor.

"An ex friend I ran into named Nanaue. He…he's angry."

Incredibly heavy footsteps stomped down the corridor at a high rate of speed, causing the loose rocks around the two team member's feet to bounce from the force.

"It would be best of we run now," Lagoon Boy said as he took off at a full sprint, leaving his teammate behind.

"Aqualad!" Superboy yelled into his com unit as he ran after the fearful fish boy. "Set off the charges! We have another problem over here!"

"What is it?" Aqualad asked over the radio.

"Lagoon Boy said it's someone named Nanaue."

"Nanaue? He was overthrown as ruler and banished from his city-state three years ago. What is he doing-"

"Just set off the bombs, we'll find a way out!" Catching up to his partner, Superboy pulled out his mapping device and charted the nearest exit. "Lagoon Boy, take the next right then hold up for a minute and patch yourself up!"

"Why should I? If Nanaue catches us, we'll both be chum!"

Letting out a growl, Superboy yelled, "Trust me!"

Doing as the veteran team member ordered, Lagoon Boy took the next right and waited. His arm was now bleeding more, the wound reopening from running, and he was currently trying to get it to stop. He then heard the cracking of stone and looked back to see Superboy break one of the stalagmites in half and waited for their pursuer to catch up, being he was right on their heels. With Superboy dealing with Nanaue, Lagoon Boy was able to apply a makeshift bandage from a portion of his spandex pants.

Hiding in the dark, Superboy gripped the end of the stone formation like a bat and waited for whoever this Nanaue to appear, although the name sounded faintly familiar. Less than ten seconds later, a large shadow painted the walls, making him wind up and swing his weapon as hard as he could. The stone collided with the side of the large chaser's face, making him stumble back for a moment then lay eyes on the one responsible for hurting him.

Looking down at the smaller hero, the one called Nanaue, let out a deep growl and bared row after row of sharp teeth in his powerful jaws. Black, baseball sized, doll-like eyes centered on Superboy who couldn't take his eyes off what looked like a human/shark hybrid in a pair of green speedo trunks. Its leathery skin reflected the light from the glowing algae, which also allowed the Kryptonian to see long, sharp claws on each hand. This creature was at least ten feet tall and nearly as wide as the seven foot wide tunnel they were in.

"Bad idea." Letting what was left of the stalagmite fall to the ground, Superboy backed up and prepared for a fight when Aqualad informed him they only had four minutes left to get out.

Gripping the piece of trident in his fist, Superboy quickly moved out of the way as Nanaue's teeth snapped shut where his head was a moment ago. Pressing a button, a point blank energy blast shot out and knocked the large shark humanoid back to buy him and Lagoon Boy time to escape.

"Get to the door at the end of the tunnel!" Superboy ordered. "It's our only way out!"

Reaching the end, Lagoon Boy came to a stop at another watery entrance like the one he was in when he first woke up after being attacked. "How far are we from the surface?"

"Don't know," Superboy answered as he pressed another button on the bronze trident piece. "You don't happen to have a rebreather, would you?"

"You're asking an Atlantian if he has a rebreather? You have got to be kidding me."

"Look, that thing is not going to stay stunned for long and I can't breathe under water like you can, so either help find a solution or-"

A roar bounced off the walls, signaling Nanaue was once again giving chase.

"You trust me, chum?" Lagoon Boy asked.

"About as much as you trust me."

A few seconds later when Nanaue arrived in the cavern, both heroes were gone with the only trace of them being the ripples in the once still water. Outside in the ocean, a thick metal door opened with Lagoon Boy and Superboy shooting out away from the cave. Over their earpieces, Aqualad announced they had thirty seconds until the bombs detonated and needed to get clear as soon as possible.

With a deep breath of air in his lungs, Superboy hung onto Lagoon Boy's wrist as the Atlantian swam them both out of the underwater cave. A normal person was capable of swimming at two meters per second, factor in super strength, six to eight. Atlantians well surpass that at fifteen to twenty meters per second with how their bodies are built and it was that little fact Superboy found himself depending on to get him to the surface. Behind them, muffled explosions could be heard from the bombs going off with large bubbles of air shooting to the surface as the sunlight above them grew brighter.

"Get ready!" Lagoon Boy yelled a second before he puffed up and hurled Superboy ahead of him.

Breaking the surface, Superboy inhaled a lungful of air as he bobbed in the water with Lagoon Boy joining him soon after. Pulling out a set of keys, the Kryptonian team member signaled for the yacht to autopilot to their position. It was a good thing it was owned by Batman as that little feature wasn't standard on the non-hero models.

"You're welcome," Lagoon Boy said condescendingly.

"For what?" Superboy asked as he tried to raise the others.

"For saving your life, chum. Now you owe me one."

"Don't think so." Looking around them, Superboy could see one of the three islands they were at some mile or so from their position. He hoped it was Maui since that's where he docked the vessel. He then tried to raise Aqualad and Beast Boy over the com units but to no avail.

"Hey, I'm bleeding pretty bad," Lagoon Boy said after several moments.

"Just keep pressure on your arm," Superboy told him. "The boat will be here in a few minutes."

"Listen, Conner…with how you helped me back there by buying me time to patch up…thanks. I know you hate me but-"

"I don't hate you, La'gaan." Conner interrupted him. "Just the things you do."

"What's the difference?"

"The way you acted around me when you were dating M'gann by rubbing it in my face, how you treated some of the missions as if they were games or jokes, how you treated Garfield before he turned dinosaur on you. Do I need to go on?"

"Yeah, well…I guess I was just looking to make my place on the team with some of those missions. And I knew Garfield never liked me being with his sister and admittingly, I did have fun rubbing it in your face."

"Be careful where you go with that," Superboy said with narrowed eyes and a sneer.

"A part of me always knew she still wanted you and I never had a real chance to be anything more than a temporary rebound. Still hurt when she dumped me if that makes you feel any better."

"Yeah, well…"

"Look, I know we'll never be friends, but teammates, maybe?"

"Yeah," Superboy nodded. "Teammates."

The two shook hands and continued waiting for the boat as Superboy kept trying to contact the other two team members and only received a beeping from the speaker. "Aqualad, Beast Boy, do you copy?"

"I don't mean to be a realist," Lagoon Boy said with a worried voice, "but you don't think they-"

"Don't say it," Superboy sternly told him as he turned back to face Lagoon Boy. "I'm not mourning any more friends I…"

Looking past Lagoon Boy, Superboy caught a glimpse of what looked like a tall gray object coming towards them at a high rate of speed with a wave of water preceding it. Picking up speed, white crests of ocean shot into the air at least ten feet on each side as a triangular shark head rose above the water with its mouth open to sink its teeth into fresh meat.

Moving fast, Superboy shoved Lagoon Boy out of the way just as those massive jaws clamped down where he was. Unfortunately, instead of biting nothing but air, Nanaue bit down on the Kryptonian instead. Looking back, Lagoon Boy's eyes widened as his head fins flared out from realizing just how close he came to becoming chum himself.

Thrashing his head about, the humanoid shark tried to dig his teeth in further into Superboy's chest and stomach as he skimmed the surface of the water. Using the ocean as a tool, Nanaue dove under and continued his violent assault. Struggling to get free, Superboy slammed his fists into the ocean monstrosity's head a few times before being bent backwards by the shark man's powerful clawed hands in an effort to break his back. Refusing to give up, Superboy slammed his fist down as hard as he could and managed to strike Nanaue's snout, forcing him to open his jaws and roar in pain, sending his would-be meal floating to the surface.

Taking another deep breath, Superboy swept the excess water from his face while Nanaue shook off the pain from having his sensitive snout clubbed. Circling around, the great white shark man rushed his prey once again, fully intent on dragging him far below the surface and drowning him this time.

Readying himself, Superboy was planning on flipping onto Nanaue's back and attacking his gills, a weak spot for aquatic beings when his attacker was suddenly knocked hard to his left by a streak of green.

Thinking it was Lagoon Boy, Superboy swam after his injured teammate, knowing he would need help in fighting the creature when a green dolphin leapt out of the water and morphed into a whale. The massive mammal landed on the shark man as Superboy's name was called from behind him. It was Aqualad in the yacht motioning for him to swim to the boat.

"Superboy," Aqualad said as he helped his friend into the nautical vessel with Wolf anxious to see if his owner was okay, "this is a battle we must plan carefully. Nanaue, or King Shark as he likes to be referred to as, is not to be taken lightly."

"Where's Lagoon Boy?" Superboy asked. "I didn't see him when I swam over. And we need to pick up Gar."

"Lagoon Boy is below deck tending to his wounds. He has lost too much blood to be of any help in the fight. I am going to need you to take one of the jet skis to pick up Beast Boy after he lures King Shark where I have instructed as I take over from there. We only have one chance so be ready."

Some fifty yards away, Beast Boy had taken on the form of a penguin and was barely out swimming King Shark. The little green shaded aquatic bird zipped through the water as the set of massive teeth clamped down behind him. He was playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with the eating machine when Aqualad announced Superboy was back in the water over his ear piece. Glancing back, Beat Boy saw the teeth just a little too far away and slowed down. Timing his next move right, he darted inside King Shark's mouth and morphed his streamlined penguin body into a type of carnivorous sponge armed with sharp spikes around its body. The moment King Shark closed his massive jaws, he felt the spikes dig into the roof of his mouth and tongue, causing him extreme pain.

With the humanoid shark's mouth open again to release a cry of pain, Beast Boy shot out and away from the set of teeth, as a barracuda this time, and headed for the yacht just as Superboy's jet ski passed overhead with Aqualad behind him. Leaping out of the water, Beast Boy morphed into his hybrid form, caught Superboy's hand, and situated himself on the seat behind him. The two took off back to the yacht as Aqualad took a flying leap off his jet ski and unholstered his weapons.

Summoning the water below him to form a platform, Aqualad landed in top of the solidified water as his jet ski crashed into King Shark's mouth, bringing him to a stop. He then fired a whip to the machine and sent a powerful electrical current from his body to the gas tank, causing it to explode in the humanoid shark's face. The blast was enough to send the team leader several yards away and back into the water as King Shark disappeared.

As the remainder of the ski burned on the ocean surface, Superboy drove around the area in search of Aqualad. Beast Boy flew over the area as a seagull and it wasn't long until he found the face down Atlantian. He dove into the water and morphed back into his humanoid form to radio Superboy and check on his team leader.

"Conner! I found him! We're about fifty feet from the explosion and floating out to sea." Looking Aqualad over, Beast Boy was relieved when he saw he wasn't hurt and gently woke him up with a few slaps to the face.

"G…Garfield?" Aqualad said. "Where is King…King Shark?"

"In Davy Jones locker. You got him! That was so cool with the platform and the electricity, not to mention that killer move you did jumping off the jet ski!"

"You okay?" Superboy asked as he pulled up beside them and leaned on the handle bars after cutting his engine off.

"As okay as I can be after being caught in a blast wave, my friend." Regaining his composure, Aqualad took hold of the side of the jet ski and shook the cobwebs out of his head.

"You think you got him?"

"I do not know. Nanaue does not admit defeat nor is easily beaten. For the time being, I would say he will not be bothering us."

"Sure about that?" To press his point, Superboy looked behind his friend and swept his gaze over the ocean. A moment later, he felt Aqualad climb aboard the vehicle with Beast Boy helping him up. "That sure, huh?"

"Better to be safe than sorry," Aqualad said as he too looked around the waters.

"Oh, and, uh, this?" Superboy said as he motioned between them. "This doesn't happen again. I'm the one who loses his shirt, not you, fearless leader."

Letting out a laugh, Aqualad looked down at his red and black uniform shirt and noticed he was missing a great deal of the chest and stomach area. "I will make sure this is a one-time occurrence, my friend."

"AW CRAP!" Beast Boy cried from the side of the jet ski.

Both Superboy and Aqualad instantly went on the alert. Superboy cocked a fist back as he looked around the area while Aqualad had one of his water weapons form into a sword.

"What?" Aqualad yelled. "What is it? Is King Shark back?"

"No," Beast Boy whined. "I missed my line!"

"Line?" Superboy asked.

"What do you mean by that?" Aqualad followed.

"I was gonna say 'we need a bigger boat' earlier and totally forgot!" Beast Boy explained. "We had a boat, a giant shark, sort of, and I missed my chance!"

Starting up the jet ski, Superboy shook his head with a grin forming on his face. "Let's just get back to base. I've had enough of salt water up my nose."

As the three took off for the yacht, none were aware King Shark was watching them from afar as he muttered Aqualad's name in Atlantean. His face was horribly blackened as was his massive chest and shoulders. He was in no condition to carry on the fight and instead stayed low in the water. What made it worse was part of his dorsal fin was missing. He could have sworn the green boy who morphed into a bird plucked it from the water on his way back to the boat but wasn't sure. Right now, he just had to heal and bide his time. They may have found his lair and clones of Trident, a useless creature he had long ago dined on and was cloning, but they neglected to search the area completely. He still had the Big Island left and they will never know to search there for his fallback lair, not when The Light conceals it in plain sight.

Apokolips

August 9, 18:59 UTC

Arriving back on Apokolips through a Boom Tube portal, Granny Goodness marched through a large chamber where her lord and master waited at the end of. Claiming his spot on a wide throne, the master of the war planet watched his general bow before him with her head hung low. Next to him stood Desaad in his usual stance with his hands clasped underneath his long, wide sleeves.

"Lord Darkseid," Granny started. "Volcanna-"

"I have already informed him on your failure, Goodness. We monitored everything you witnessed." Taking a step forward, Desaad carefully watched as the general of Apokolips' armies stood rather swiftly.

"And just what have you told him, you worm?" Emphasizing her tone of voice, Granny Goodness slammed her spear on the stone walkway.

"Words do not have to be wasted on your poor excuse for a warrior, Granny. Had the divine one sent one of my creations instead of your orphans, the clone would be destroyed and-"

"And your failure in losing the New Genesphere would be avenged." She looked at the deformed torturer with a mocking look in her eye. "So I wouldn't be the one brining up failure if I were you. As long as Volcanna did her job and tested KR's abilities, she succeded."

Marching up to the foot of the throne, Granny Goodness crossed an arm over her chest and bowed her head. "My Lord, if it pleases you, I wish to have another of my furies test the young Amazonian woman."

"No!" Desaad argued. "Master, allow me to send one of my creations. A mixture of flesh and Apokaliptian technology. I have a target in mind that will demoralize them all and make your impending arrival and victory all the more easier."

A long, profoundly quiet moment followed before Darkseid rose his hand to cause a screen-like image to appear before them with images of the both the Justice League and The Team in mid battle Vandal Savage and his associates provided them. "Your requests will be granted at a later time. For now, carry out your assigned tasks with Savage and his…followers, for the end of days is almost at hand."


	11. Part 3: Wading - Chapter 11

Part 3: Wading

1.

Gotham City

August 22, 22:22 UTC

High above the streets of the crime ridden city known as Gotham, loud huffs escaped into the air from an overly dry mouth. Legs ran as fast as they could, which just wasn't fast enough, as they carried a body over the roofs of buildings, across scaffolds, over alleyway gaps, and around large vents or air conditioner units. The moon shone brightly in the sky overhead with shallow puddles from a light rain earlier lay still until a Nike shoe landed in its middle. Trash and fecal matter from areal animals were stomped on or kicked aside as a young man with skin as dark as the night raced away from a ringing burglar alarm several blocks behind him with a bag of money, lotto tickets, and twinkies dangling from his clutched fist.

Approaching the ledge of a building, the man stopped just shy of falling five stories to the bottom of an alley and mentally measured the distance to the next building ahead of him. A quick measurement had him guessing it was around four yards across. It was an easy leap for someone who used to participate in the long jump field event in high school; however, that was ten years and fifty pounds ago.

Jogging a few feet back where he came, the man tied the end of his loot bag to his belt and bounced on his feet a few times before taking off in a sprint. It didn't take him long to run the ten feet he allowed himself as a runway and once he reached the ledge, he took a flying leap into the air, and immediately dropped like a stone halfway across the gap. His knee had given out and his lungs were devoid of breath, making his initial takeoff useless.

He knew this was it. He knew there was no way he would see morning or hook up with that chick he met at a club last night where he got her phone number. The ground was coming up fast. It would cause his body to splatter over the concrete like a dropped hot pocket. He was almost to the street, almost to the point where he would no longer need the money and other things he's stolen when something jerked him backwards and slammed him into the brick wall.

A large shadow formed over the alley as the thief hung over the trash filled passage, a rope with a bat shaped grappling device around his ankle kept him from falling. As his entire body froze from being so close to death, a lithe figure in black and gray landed on a nearby fire escape and watched as he slowly spun while swinging back and forth.

"Didn't I catch you the other week? Batgirl asked as she pulled extra rope from her utility belt. "Yeah, I'm sure I did. You were the one who was going around breaking parking meters and stealing the change. You really need to get a real job."

The thief just groaned as the blood rushed to his head. Within three minutes, he was closer to street level and tied to a light pole with a note pinned to his shirt. The Batsignal was adorned on the top of the paper with a quick note explaining he was the one who just robbed a gas station several minutes ago. Already, the sound of police sirens could be heard on their way to pick him up as Batgirl watched him from the top of a neighboring building.

"Fancy meeting you here," came a voice from behind her.

Usually her training would have her flinging a Bat-A-Rang while diving out of the way, if it weren't for the familiar sound of the person landing behind her that is. "Had fun watching? There's a word for that, you know."

"Protective?"

"Voyeur." Turning away from the criminal on the sidewalk, since the police were there, Batgirl crossed her arms and leaned to the side with a hip sticking out to her right. "You're ten minutes late, Wing."

Flipping off of an air conditioner unit, Nightwing crossed his arms and leaned against it. "Better late than never."

"You would think that, wouldn't you?" Letting out a sigh, the feminine bat reached into a pouch on her belt and produced a copy of the flash drive she had been studying. "I've finally got through all the extras and found the raw data about you know who, which is why I wanted to meet with you outside of Watchtower."

"He's not in Watchtower tonight. He was having dinner with M'gann and Gar at their new apartment then heading to the Kent farm."

"Still…" She walked over to him and handed over the flash drive. "It's up to you if you want to tell him or not. Superboy, Conner, Project KR…Supey, whatever you want to call him, is an incomplete clone of Superman and Lex Luthor."

"Incomplete?" Nightwing repeated as he stood up. "How so?"

"Short version, you original three freed him from his pod prematurely. He was not supposed to be released for another seventeen weeks, which would make him thirty three years old, the same age the DNA sample from Superman was obtained."

Looking at the silver memory stick, Nightwing rubbed his thumb over it several times. "Does…does that mean he was supposed to get all of Superman's…"

"No," Batgirl told him. "He can never gain full Kryptonian powers. He can never fly or have heat vision or be as strong as Superman, although he does grow stronger the longer he's exposed to our sun like Superman. He also does indeed age."

"I know. He looks exactly the same since we first met him but it's all internal."

"Look closer. He's gotten taller, bigger, more muscular, lean muscles, but he's gotten more of a built than even when I met him."

"You look at him that close?"

"I may be a bat, but the word 'girl' does imply something."

"Like when you looked at me?" Flashing his most debonair grin, Nightwing enjoyed it when Batgirl developed a grin herself. "So how fast does he age?"

"About one month per year, though his size makes it easy for him to fit in with the college crowd. It's also impossible to anticipate his lifespan."

"So he ages, slowly…what else did you find?"

Walking up to her partner in crime fighting, she crossed her arms over her chest again. "He's a Genomorph as you know. His strength, invulnerability, infrared vision, they come from his Kryptonian half. His human side negates the others, which is why he was also labeled as a failed experiment. But the part that is a Genomorph, those creatures you reported running into at Cadmus, once he was aged to around twenty one years, he was going to enter into stage three of his development and gain something to make up for all he lacks. I don't know what it is, but it's called TTK. There's no explanation what that is so for all we know, it could be anything."

She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze once she saw the expression he had, something they all had learned to do from years of partnering. "I know what you're thinking. This is just one more thing added to your plate you don't need, but you have to make a decision to tell him or not. I would have gone to Aqualad first but he's been busy training Lagoon Boy in Atlantis and Superboy doesn't know me as well as you. He deserves to know."

Going over the information he was privy to, Nightwing let out a sigh and stared into Batgirl's eyes. "Sometimes, I wish things were like when this team first formed."

"Things change, Wing. Unless you're going to change them for the better yourself somehow, you have no choice but to go with it." Looking the former boy wonder over, Batgirl sighed, knowing what else he was thinking about. "So, what has the world's second greatest detective been up to?"

"Still searching for Wally. Though Batman said I should help here in the meantime and look after Star."

"Star?"

"Starfire. Then he'll help me with finding Wally."

A sympathetic look crossed Batgirl's eyes. "Wing, I hate to break it to you, but this obsession with finding Wally, it's consumed you. There are other pressing matters we need to deal with like the sudden disappearance of Intergang and the remaining members of The Light. Ra's is out, Brain and Black Manta have been captured, and-"

"It hasn't consumed me."

"Yes it has. I know you loved him. You two were as close as brothers. I just don't want to see you go mad grasping onto false hope like you have been."

"B…atgirl, it's not false hope," Nightwing said as he all but got in her face and nearly called her by her real name. "I had Zatanna go over samples I took from the area Wally was in. She didn't find anything."

"That's my point. Wally's gone. There's nothing left of him."

"No, it's because he's still alive. Zee said if someone dies, truly dies, they leave behind a spiritual presence and we know science states all matter cannot be created or destroyed. There was no evidence he was ever there to begin with. She could only pick up on Barry, Bart, and the Reach tech so that only means one thing."

"Wing, please," Batgirl said as she gently shook her head, "Wally's gone. The only evidence of him existing is the baby Artemis is carrying."

"No…it's not." A smile crept up on Nightwing's face like he had seen some immaculate being he had been searching for. "Remember what we found out about the chrysalis the Reach's tech was creating? It uses Zeta energy. Zeta…energy. Don't you understand? We use Zeta beams to travel from point to point across the world."

"But you need two points of contact between the beams in order for that to work, what's your point?"

"My point is, Wally didn't die. Flash and Impulse saw him disappear, not die. He was struck by Zeta beams and transported somewhere, possibly someplace off world since we haven't heard from him."

"Wing, you know how crazy that sounds?"

"Stranger things have happened, B."

"But think about it," Batgirl placed both hands on his shoulders to get him to see things her way. She was beyond worried for her friend with what was becoming an obsession. "The Reach tech used Zeta energy to form the chrysalis, not transport. What you're suggesting is impossible. It would be like…like…a paraplegic flying. It's not gonna happen."

Taking her hands in his, Nightwing gave them a light squeeze. "Batgirl, we live in a world with aliens, shape shifters, clones, sentient robots, mer-people, and more. Why can't you give this the benefit of a doubt?"

Taking her hands back, Batgirl backed up a step. "Fine, I'll try. But there are just some things you just have to accept."

A moment of silence occurred between them as they stared at each other. This was the first time they felt the chill in the air since donning their gear for a night time patrol. "Ever wonder what would have happened if things were different between us?"

"What?" Batgirl was a little taken back by the sudden change in topic.

"It's something I've been thinking about lately."

"Since the alien chick almost sucked out your tonsils?"

"Since Artemis and Wally."

Shaking her head, Batgirl took a step back and pulled out her grapple launcher. "You were the one who dated me as Dick and dated Zatanna as Robin. Seeing the boy wonder on TV with a gorgeous brunette, getting dumped by you, and never knowing you were the one I was with until I put on the cowl, trust isn't the only thing that can be broken. She may still be your friend, but I can't help but see you as anything more than a partner."

Taking her leave, Batgirl fired her grapple over to a building's ledge and zipped over to it, leaving Nightwing behind. She didn't bother looking back as she continued her patrol where she would meet up with Robin and Batman later.

"If only I could hate you, I would, Dick, she muttered to herself. "I just don't understand why I can't."

Smallville – Kent Farm

August 22, 23:59 UTC

**Recognize, Superboy, B Zero Four.**

The voice of the new Zeta Tube within the barn of the Kent farm alerted Wolf and Sphere to the arrival of Conner. The bright light that once blinded the animal in the darkness faded out as the Kryptonian hybrid slid a wooden panel to the side and came into view. The Venom enhanced animal went to him, waiting to be acknowledged as its master put the panel back in place, making it look like a storage room with a faux lock snapping into place to keep it closed.

"Hey, boy," Conner said as he rubbed the top of Wolf's head. "Brought you back something." Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a tinfoil wrapped bundle and took its contents out. "Hope you like bar-b-que."

Wolf eagerly took the left over rib bones and began to crunch them as Sphere rolled up beside them. She let out a few beeps as Conner ran his hand over her metal shell before making his way to a wooden ladder as he took his leather coat off. As he hung his garment on a nail and took out a ziplock bag full of snicker doodles from his pocket M'gann had given him, the sound of feet shuffling came from the darkness near the entrance to the chicken coup.

"About time you got home," Pa Kent said as he closed the door to where the chickens roosted. "Ma and I thought you would stay out all night this time."

"Lost track of time." Even in the dimly light barn, Conner could see the old man's white hair and wrinkled skin. "What are you doing out here this late?"

"Neighbors called a few minutes ago. They've sighted foxes in the area and I came out to check on the chickens. Gotta prevent dinner form getting eaten before it can make breakfast. By the way, your friend Nightwing stopped by after I came out here. You just missed him."

"Did he say what he wanted?" Conner asked as he climbed the ladder to the second story of the barn. Once on top, he untied his boots and placed them near a couch Clark had once carried up there when he was a teen.

"He said he wanted to talk with you about something whenever you're free. I told him you were still with Megan and Garfield." Watching the clone of Clark ready himself for bed, Jonathan Kent Scratched the back of his neck. It seemed all the Kents, by blood, adoption, or cloned, shared that same trait. "You and her, reminds me of Martha and I. Clark has Lois to abrasively keep him in line, completely different from how Martha treated me when we were young. And the Martian keeps you calm."

"And your point being?"

"You once asked me if you were a fool for still having feelings for her. I thought about it and can't help but come to the conclusion you apparently have already made." Jonathan paced slightly around Wolf as he enjoyed his bones. "Martha once betrayed me. She kissed another man at a barn dance and I caught her. She apologized repeatedly and told me if she could take it back, she would since she didn't want to lose me. It took some time before I could trust her again but she kept trying to make me see how sorry she was. Granted what she did was not as extreme in attempting to make you forget about how Megan used her powers, but I doubt you would want to be around her period if you truly didn't care for her after that."

Looking up, the elder Kent saw Conner sitting on the edge of his bed as he soaked in everything he was told. "I'm not going to lie, it's not in us to do so, but some people will call what you're doing asinine. But you forgiving her and working it out shows how much you still care for her, how much of a man you are, and how much character you have. It's easy to run away, Conner. It doesn't take anything to give up and leave. It takes real strength to stay and work things out or fight for what you want before determining if it's the right to leave or not. Just remember, she may have broken the trust between you two, but you're the only one who can determine if it's fully repaired or not. I was lucky enough to find that out after giving Martha a second chance."

Before Conner could say anything in response, Jonathan was already heading out of the barn. "Do me a favor, since you prefer to sleep in the barn, run off any foxes if any should come in here. With your better hearing, it shouldn't be a problem for you. Oh, and one more thing, Martha says shave. The woman never liked seeing her boys unkempt."

Sitting on the edge of his bed, which was by the large square opening of the upstairs and overlooking the large field of grain to the east, Conner went over all that was told to him, except the part about shaving, when Wolf leapt up to the second story.

"I don't suppose you're here to add to what Pa said, are you?"

The white furred animal stared at him for a moment then took its place at the edge of the wide opening where he lay down for the night. A long, deep yawn came from the animal a moment before he lay his head down.

"Can't argue with that." Tossing his shirt to the floor but not bothering to change out of his jeans, Conner folded his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. He wondered what Nightwing wanted to tell him as he drifted to sleep and hoped it wasn't another mission involving ocean water. Even after all this time, he swore he could still smell the salt water in his nose.


	12. Chapter 12

2.

Smallville – Hidden Underground Laboratory

August 31, 11:23 UTC

Deep underground in the hidden laboratory Vandal Savage and Lex Luther's scientists occupied, dozens of computers lit up with information on the squirming gray matter inside a large pod in the center of the room. Everything was sterile with those inside donning white biological safety suits. No dust could be found, even in the farthest corner of the laboratory.

In the area marked for Boom Tube arrivals, Desaad emerged from the bright, white light which formed there and looked everyone over. The scientists instantly stopped what they were doing when the portal opened and grew nervous when the deformed man stepped out and stared through the Plexiglas barrier of the sealed off work area. It wasn't until the Apokaliptian scientist and torturer saw one of the men inside add a liquid to the gray matter when he narrowed his eyes at them all.

Central City Mall

September 3, 15:47 UTC

"I think that just about does it." Coming out of the mall, Cassie Sandsmark fumbled through the large bags she carried with her with her mentor, Diana Prince, by her side.

"Are you sure? I don't think you've been to all the baby stores yet." Carrying her own bags, the Amazonian League member lightly chuckled as she watched her protégé go over everything she had bought.

The two walked along the sidewalk around the mall, each with bags from every baby store inside the shop zone in their hands. When they arrived the mall had just opened with only a few vehicles in the parking lot. Now, since it was well into the day, it was packed with even more people heading inside.

"It's times like this I'm glad I don't need to drive everywhere," Diana said as they turned into the loading docks of the building. "Imagine Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl waiting for the light to turn green when being called for a mission."

"Or getting a flat and waiting for a tow truck," Cassie added. "Then again, we could always hike up a pant leg and flash a leg if we really needed help."

"And that, I'm proud to say, is something no Amazon has or will ever need to do." Making sure they were out of sight from any onlookers, Diana nodded to the blonde teen it was okay to take off. Both super powered women took to the air and quickly ascended into the sky above, leaving the mall and its vast amount of shoppers behind.

There wasn't anything like flying, a complete freedom no one could possibly comprehend unless they experience it firsthand. It was a feeling Cassie thoroughly enjoyed every time she got the chance to leave the ground. There was nothing that could top the feeling of the wind flowing through her hair or caressing the smooth skin of her face. There was also the way the wind would blow around her body as it made its way under her clothing, giving her goose bumps as the coolness of it skimmed over her warm skin. Sure it was cold at higher elevations, but again, it was a feeling that simply could not be beat. Although to her, Tim's lips on hers came a close second.

"Care for a race to the Zeta tube?" Diana asked once they were high enough in the air to where no one on the ground could see them.

"Fine," Cassie grinned, "but just a race. I might drop Artemis' gifts if we use Amazon rules."

After a slight nod, Diana took off at a high rate of speed to where the farthest Zeta tube was hidden. Cassie was right on her tail as they flew through the endless blue sky. With the wind whipping around them, it was hard to hear one another's taunts. Clouds were shot through as they banked left and right, attempting to slow the other down while keeping the lead. Had Amazonian rules been applied, they would have been attempting to knock each other out of the air as they raced.

As they kept the race tight between them, Cassie pulled a trick out from her sleeve and managed to cross in front of her mentor before slamming on the air brakes without warning, forcing Diana to a stop before advancing forward again.

"Wanna play dirty?" Diana asked with a smile. "Fine, we can play dirty!" She had to hand it to the girl, that was a pretty slick and unorthodox move she pulled.

Fully enjoying her wide lead, Cassie tilted her head back and let out a laugh. She then turned over, flying with her back towards the ground and saw Diana shake her head with an amused look about her when she was suddenly knocked out of sight by a red blur.

"Diana!" Cassie yelled as she came to a complete stop when a woman's voice yelled from above her.

"Why do I have to get the blonde?" A woman in black pants and boots charged at Cassie from above and connected with hard kick to the girl's face. Several wide, white straps wrapped around her chest with another one forming her belt. Several smaller ones adorned her arms with white fingerless gloves covering her hands. Even her face had two of the white strips of cloth on as one wrapped around her forehead and another covered her cheeks and nose. Her long black hair hung down to her waist as it gently blew in the breeze.

"Hey, Barda!" the woman yelled. "Can I kill this one now or have a little fun first?"

"You know what the master said, Lashanna. We can only stretch our legs, nothing more." Floating up beside the black and white woman, a tall dark haired amazon looking female watched as the two heroines fell to the Earth. She was decked out in tight red metallic pants with black, studded boots. A matching metallic red tube top fit snugly over her large bosom. "Besides, Granny's second in command is watching us, so we have to follow orders."

Floating above them was a red cloaked figure with a hood covering their face. There was no way in seeing who or what it was as no part of them was exposed. Watchful eyes looked on as the two heroines regained themselves and dropped whatever it was they were carrying before they took areal fighting positions. Both of their attackers looked up at the cloaked figure for orders and wickedly smiled when it held an arm out, signaling them to attack.

"And to think this started out as a good day," Diana said as she shed her jean jacket. Wrapped around her waist underneath her belt was her mystical lasso. It unwrapped quickly and bundled together in her hand. As always, she wore her bracelets but not her tiara on this day and was forced to fight in her street clothes, blue jeans, red crop top, and heeled tan boots.

"What do you mean, now we have some skulls to bash and…" Stopping mid-sentence, Cassie, in her tight blue carpis, sneakers, and white t-shirt, flew behind Diana and remained silent.

"Cassie, please tell me you have your lasso."

"Um, not at the moment." She flashed an embarrassed smile at the dark haired Amazon. "It's back at Watchtower."

"Cassie, your weapons are a lifeline. As an Amazon, you need to always be prepared for battle, even if you're only half an Amazon. It is a lesson you seem to want to learn the hard way."

"I got my bracelets."

Shaking her head disapprovingly, Diana shot forward to confront the red clad woman referred to as Barda while making a mental note to have Cassie involved in more training afterwards. She was still young, easily excitable, and prone to mistakes, something she would have to overcome if she ever hoped to enter The League.

"Come on, Amazon," the red woman yelled as she prepared to engage Diana. "Been wanting to go toe to toe with you since I've seen the recordings."

Colliding with the force of two fully loaded big rigs, Diana and Barda's impact sounded like thunder as each landed a shot to the face in an attempt for an instant knockout. Speeding past each other, both women attacked again and again, each time colliding hard enough to rip through steal until coming to a standstill as they locked up in a test of strength.

"What do you mean recordings?" Diana asked as she grunted. "Who are you and how long have you been spying on us?"

Letting out a grunt of her own, Barda answered, "We are the furies. Warriors of Granny Goodness and the one who shall go unnamed, the lord and master of all things held in darkness."

"You mean the figure in the cloak?"

"No…she's just here to deliver a message to you, the protectors of Earth." With a kick to Diana's stomach, Barda freed herself from the lockup and roughly grabbed her opponent by the hair. The grin she held grew wider as she had her knee connect with her foe's chin. "So far, there's nothing worth killing, Amazon."

Flipping backwards from the hit, Diana righted herself and wiped her mouth clear of some spittle. "Trust me; you did not want to do that. Nothing good can come from angering an Amazon."

Tightening her hands into fists, Diana charged Barda with her fist cocked back all the way.

"You can't be an Amazon." Lashanna stated as she and Cassie engaged in their mid-air fight. "You're good for a little girl but a true warrior? I've killed better."

Performing a sweeping kick, Cassie missed hitting her foe's midsection and had her arms grabbed from behind once she faced the other way. A knee was dug into her back, forcing a grunt from her lips before being kicked away.

"Blondie's got no game." Reaching behind her, Lashanna pulled out two white strands of what looked like leather strips. Each one was four inches across and gave off energy as she brought one above her head and hurled it towards the teen girl.

Using her bracelets for protection, Cassie felt the initial impact of the weapons and was forced back a few feet. Another strip came down at her and wrapped itself around her right bicep. A scream erupted from her as an electrical current tore through her body then was punched across the jaw.

"At least try to put up a fight," Lashanna taunted, "I really don't want this to be a waste of my time. At least Barda has a true warrior to battle."

"I'll give you a true warrior." Shooting forward, Cassie dodged two more attempted strikes from the woman and managed to clothesline her attacker. "Not so good when it's up close and personal, are you?"

Letting out a sigh, Lashanna recoiled her weapons and let them hang to her sides. "True, I like my fights a little distanced, but there is just something to be said about wrapping my hands around an enemy's neck and watching them as they fry from my 'shocking' personality."

As the four women fought, the lone clocked figure continued to watch silently. Their eyes carefully evaluated every move, every block, every attack the two Earth protectors performed. With their patience weighing thin, the figure flew down to the battle and held their hand out in front of them.

Obediently, Barda and Lashanna stopped fighting and flew back to the figure with evil grins. A white Boom Tube opened a few feet from them and both women flew into it before it closed. Now it was only the two super strong women and the red hooded figure.

"Come on," Cassie said excitedly as she flew beside Diana, "we can take him, her, whatever."

"Be vigilant, Cassandra. They have not yet entered the fight and we have no idea what they are capable of." With her lasso at the ready, Diana kept close watch on the figure, ready to attack at a moment's notice.

All seemed to come to a standstill as the three women hovered in the air. Slowly, the figure pulled one side of their cloak away and reached up to take hold of a gold colored sash. One tug freed the covering from their neck, allowing the rest of the cloak to flap in the high altitude wind. A second hand rose slowly and took hold of one side of their hood as the first did the same. Carefully, the figure pulled the head covering back, exposing their face to the two heroines and letting the cloak fall to the ground.

Black knee high boots with a silver lining at the top covered the figure's shapely legs with the knees left exposed. A matching black and silver skirt wrapped tightly around her waist with a reflective silver belt. A long sleeved top exposed her toned stomach with silver highlights bordering the ends of her sleeves and around her neck. Finally, a long black cape flowed majestically in the wind to complete the look. Crystal blue eyes peeked through long, blonde hair as the strands whipped across a feminine face.

"A message from my lord to the protectors of this planet," the figure announced. "He wishes to offer you a one-time deal before his arrival. Surrender now, and have a merciful death. Refuse, and know the true meaning of the word…suffering."

"Um, Diana," Cassie said with a lump in her throat. "any idea as to how we're gonna take her down?"

"Be prepared for anything, we may need to rethink our strategy with combatting this individual." Diana got a strange feeling as she locked eyes with the floating woman. It was as if she had seen them before.

**AN: Quick thanks to all the newbies favoriting and following along and of course the ones who've been here from the beginning. I also want to say ChaotixController had it right as I'm trying to keep it five parts per episode. As for all the questions being asked, believe it or not, but I actually have most of them planned out with others giving me ideas to mix with what I have. Also, I want your opinion as to a character I'm bringing in further down the line. So without too many spoilers: this person has been in a few DC series but has no identity (actually, they have several non-verified ones). I already have an idea as to what I'm going to do but I want to hear from you guys too. So my question to you all is, should I (a. Keep them the way they are? (b. Make up an identity for them? Or (c. keep them unknown but with a name and no other details?**

**All suggestions will be considered. Thanks.**


	13. Chapter 13

3.

Watchtower

September 3, 16:27 UTC

Flying around the forest room, the new addition to the team was obviously enjoying herself as she banked around the tall tress of the thick woodland. Letting out a sigh of contentment, Starfire flew from the tops of the man-made wilderness to just a foot from the ground. Her hand skimmed the surface of the water once she reached the artificial lake, enjoying how her fingers created small wakes behind them. She couldn't help but let out a laugh from having such a great time and simply flying about without a care. When she had first been found by Alpha team in a stasis pod on Mars, she wore a metallic silver suit. Shortly afterwards, she was helped by Zatanna in finding another outfit to allow her more freedom of movement.

Purple thigh high boots with thick soles covered most of her metallic silver pants with a purple loincloth flap in front. A matching top with cutouts on the sides and stomach with a diamond shape cutout over her collar bone covered her torso as long arm coverings extended from the base of her shoulders to her hands, leaving her fingers free from being confined. The last accessory she had was a metallic neck decoration, which covered down to her collarbone. A green jewel was situated directly in front of her with two more placed over each shoulder and a final one on the back of the decoration. When asked about her choice in attire, Starfire explained it was close to what a female Tamarian warrior would wear in combat with the exception of it not being made from the silk of a snorgle fwa'ack, as her pet Silkie was not of age to produce such material yet.

With one final loop, the orange skinned girl landed on the lake's shore and picked up her pet alien worm. It let out a squeal, sounding something like a newborn infant and a pig, as she hugged it tight before setting it down. As she watched it crawl around, loud footsteps thundered across one of the balconies high above the massive room, causing her to become curious and fly up to the source of the sound.

"Conner, wait," Nightwing called as he chased after his angered friend.

"What for?" Not stopping, Conner continued on toward the hallway leading back to the Zeta Tube room.

"Because there's still more you have to see on the flash drive. It's not all bad. It gives certain solutions regarding your powers."

"By referring to me as a failed experiment? I already know I'll never get powers like Superman being half human, but to be listed as a failure-"

"You're not a failure. Would a failure have saved this team dozens of times from criminals armed with everything from nine millimeters to rocket launchers? You've gone toe to toe with the biggest and strongest criminals out there and came out of each fight unscathed. Just because Luther and his scientists labeled you as a failed project doesn't make it true."

"Then how would you put it? I left my pod prematurely. I'm not fully grown. I'm not in possession of all my powers. And-"

"Parden," Starfire said as she landed where the two men stood. "But what do you mean by 'not fully grown'? Is he considered an infant by your species?"

The alien woman strolled up the masked Nightwing with her hands behind her back. She looked like a school girl standing before a large crowd and was embarrassed to speak with the way she looked.

"What is she?" Conner asked as he stared at the shorter man. "Number five?"

"That's uncalled for," Nightwing shot back.

"Sure it is." After giving Starfire a quick look over, the angered powerhouse resumed his march to his intended destination.

"If you don't mind my asking," Starfire softly said.

Holding up a hand to pause her, Nightwing waited for confirmation Conner was indeed gone.

**RECONIZED, SUPERBOY, B, ZERO FOUR.**

After the sound of the machine died down, Nightwing gestured for her to continue with a nod of his head.

"I was wanting to ask, why does the Superboy view himself as a failed experiment? He looks rather complete and successful."

"Well, Star, it's a long story trying to explain exactly what he is and why he acts the way he does. In short, he's a clone, a clone of Superman that's part Kryptonian and part human. We recently found out some new information on him and he didn't like what was documented."

"Kryptonian? I thought their planet was destroyed along with all of its people by the God Leader of Apokolips."

"Not exactly. Star…wait, what do you mean by the God Leader of Apokolips?"

Bringing her hands in front of her, Starfire rubbed her hand over the length of her right arm. "It… it happened before I was born so I've only heard the stories passed down from the time keepers. The God Leader of Apokolips worked with a machine called Brainiac to have the Kryptonian home world and all of its people destroyed. It was rumored at least one was taken in by his lead general as a newborn, but it has not been verified."

"But…why wouldn't we know about that?" Nightwing asked, taken aback. "Superman told The League Brainiac was the only one responsible for that. Why would he-"

"_Nightwing, come in_," Cassie's voice came from his communicator. It was more than evident she was in some kind of trouble.

"Cass?" he answered. "What's wrong?"

"_Me and Diana were attacked by these two women when a third came after us. She…she fights like Superman with the eye lasers and flight and super strength. Diana's injured and I'm not doing so well. We could really use some back up. Preferably the type that can fly_."

"Did, di you just say, fights like Superman? And she?"

"What part of that didn't you understand?"

"R…right, I'm sending back up as soon as possible."

"Nightwing, if you don't mind me asking, could I join in on the backup?" Hurrying to his side, Starfire looked down at the masked man with a hopeful look on her face as she followed him to the main planning room.

"I don't know. You're kinda new to how we do things around here still."

"Please, if I can wrestle a Glaforgean sand worm into submission to the cheers of my people, a lone combatant shouldn't be too much to handle."

"Star, I-"

"Oh please allow me to aid your friends." She grabbed his hand with both of hers and held it close to her chest. "I will arrive where they are and, as Beast Boy says, lay the smack down."

Letting out a sigh, he relented. "Fine. I'll program the Zeta Tubes to allow you to go to and from Earth, just please, help Cass and Diana as fast as you can."

"Oh joyous feelings!" Starfire wrapped her arms around a very surprised Nightwing and spun him around as she hugged him tightly.

"Alright, we're wasting time. Go to the Zeta Tubes and I'll have them transport you close to their coordinates.

"You will not regret this!"

As she flew off, Nightwing brought up his wrist mounted Holo-computer and arranged for Starfire to use the transport machine. Unknown to him, Batgirl stood nearby with a frown on her face from what she just saw as well as the blush he had when the alien girl hugged him.

Central City

September 3, 16:33 UTC

Her left arm felt like a heavy weight, evident it was dislocated from the hard elbow to her shoulder from the black clad woman. Cassie was upping her game as she went head to head with the woman, giving Diana time to recover.

"So what's your story?" Cassie asked as she blocked a hard left hook with a rising knee after. "Are you Superman's sister? Daughter? Cousin? Former roommate?"

With a growl for a response, the black and silver woman dashed to the right of Cassie so fast, the heroine had barely registered the movement and was hit hard in the abdomen from a hard uppercut. A club-like blow to the back of her head followed after, sending her toppling through the air about a mile or so towards the ground before she could recover.

Watching the Wonder Woman wannabe grow smaller the farther she fell; the new woman turned her sights back to Diana who was ready to deliver a hit of her own. Barda was strong but this new fighter was just like fighting Superman, having to dodge her heat vision didn't help change that mindset one bit either. The moment after Diana's fist connected with the side of the woman's head, a punch hard enough to knock her back several yards, the woman's eyes took on a shade of red just before twin streams of energy shot out from them.

Barely getting her good arm up in time, Diana felt the impact of the woman's heat vision on her bracelet. The radiant heat made the air around her feel like a sauna. As Cassie flew back to the fight, she narrowly avoided the reflected beams of energy bouncing off her mentor's deflective bracelets. She could hear a grunt of pain from Diana as she tried to move her other shoulder as the woman charged up her eyes for another blast. Not giving her time to do so, Cassie reached the woman, grabbed her by the leg, and flung her across the sky.

With a few moments of separation, Cassie flew up to check on the injured Diana. "Diana, are you-"

"My shoulder, Cassie. I need you to put it back in place."

Nodding, Cassie took hold of Diana's wrist and lifted her arm parallel to her body as she placed her free hand on where she could feel the bulge of the bone on her mentor's shoulder. "Okay, here it goes." With one swift movement, Cassie popped Diana's arm back in place.

"Nagh!" Rotating her arm, Diana gave Cassie her thanks as the other woman came into view. Her cape flapping behind her as she charged towards them with her eyes glowing red.

"Cassie, be ready," Diana instructed. "I'll snag her with my lasso and you hold her in place. I want to find out more about this super…girl."

Another blast of energy shot past the Amazon women as they dodged around it when the woman blew a powerful gust of wind and knocked them off balance, leaving them wide open for an attack.

Before the woman could deliver a knockout blow to her two foes, a bright green explosion erupted from her side, knocking her off course as Starfire arrived and landed a hard punch to her face.

"You will not harm my friends and you will not be victorious!" Keeping her attack going, Starfire threw a left haymaker and managed to connect with the woman's shoulder.

Backing up to gain some distance, the woman fired her heat vision at the Tameran as they flew around each other. Red streams of light and green orbs filled the air as they attempted to get a hit in. When they were close enough, swift fly-by punches were exchanged. Collisions of purple and black occurred over and over again as more streaks of red and orbs of green flew about, making the sky look like the fourth of July.

Inhaling a deep breath, the woman unleashed a violent gust of wind at Starfire who tumbled backwards. Recovering quickly, Starfire performed a wide, arching backwards loop and countered with a large green energy orb, hitting the woman who had just enough time to bring her arms up to block most of the attack.

"Cassie, now!" Diana ordered as she took her lasso and snared the woman around the waist.

Coming up behind the woman in black, Cassie locked in a bear hug as Diana brought both her fists down on the woman's shoulders then proceeded to tie her up while Starfire flew to a stop as she watched Cassie and Diana restrain the woman with the golden lasso.

"En bassa del la fuenta." Starfire said as she watched the women take their attacker prisoner. "Shento u'n teq'ualla benta."

With the woman close to being completely immobilized, a large white light appeared above her. Acting fast, Starfire bolted at the three women and ripped both Diana and Cassie away from the light as the black clad woman was pulled towards it and disappeared, letting out a laugh as the light faded away. What was left behind was Diana's lasso, falling as if it had never held the woman to begin with.

"Oh, come on!" Cassie shouted. "Just when we were getting the upper hand she runs away?"

"Settle down, Cassandra," Diana said. "That was a Boom Tube. She didn't run away, she was called back." Looking over at Starfire, the Amazon flashed her a grin. "My thanks, Starfire. We were caught unaware and appreciate the help."

"You're welcome." Starfire flashed a smile back as Diana gathered up her lasso when Cassie flew up to her.

"Hey, what was that thing you said back there?" the blonde asked. "You said it to me when we first fought."

"Oh, that is a warrior's prayer we say on Tameran. 'En bassa del la fuenta' in your language means, 'Rest my worthy adversary.'. 'Shento u'n teq'ualla benta' means, 'May your defeat and strength bring me continuing victory'."

"I hope that rings true," Diana said as she searched the sky to make sure they were truly alone. "Given how powerful they were, especially the last one, we need all the strength we can get. And as for you, Cassie, you will participate in extra training. This fight may have been on our side if you had remembered your weapon. In the meantime, we need to find out more about these women. This makes four in all appearing to challenge us."

"And the last one was like Superman. She had all Kryptonian powers," Cassie pointed out. "Where did she come from?"

"Perhaps the stories I have heard are true," Starfire spoke up. "I have informed Nightwing about them. Maybe I should tell them to everyone."

"I think that will be wise." Looping her lasso around her belt, Diana rolled her shoulder to try to alleviate some of the pain. "Let's grab our gifts and head back to Watchtower. The more we know about our new enemies, the better of a chance we have at defeating them."

**AN: First off, yes the character in question should be easy to guess and second, I plead the fifth when it comes to any more new characters in later chapters. All I have to say is, I'm two parts ahead of this and have plenty of ideas in store. **


	14. Chapter 14

4.

Metropolis – Lex Corp

September 3, 20:16 UTC

It had taken him some time since speaking with Nightwing at Watchtower, and a few more hours after that, to come to a decision on what to do. It would be a lie if Conner had told anyone he wasn't curious at what the truth was behind his creation. It would be another lie if he told anyone he wasn't still fuming over what he had been labeled by his creators. Sure he shouldn't care about such things, but had the same happened to a person with multiple siblings who was told they don't measure up them, he would doubt the emotions flowing through them would be any different.

Arriving in Metropolis via Zeta Tube, Conner and Sphere, in her super cycle mode, flew across the sky of the large city with the Lex Corp building being their prime destination. Using his infrared vision, the semi-Kryptonian searched for any heat signatures within the building and found four to seven on each floor, most likely guards and janitorial staff. After several minutes of staking out the floor Lex's office was on, something he hated doing as he would rather be smashing things, Conner had Sphere move in and come to a stop in front of the large window shielding the office from the outside world.

"Keep it quiet, girl," Conner told his mechanical partner. "We don't need to alert the entire building."

Giving a beep of acknowledgement, Sphere deployed one of her lasers and cut a hole in the glass. An extreme heat could be felt as the focused beam of light melted a five foot by three foot entryway into the building. No sounds were made as the large slab of glass was melted, leaving nothing to fall and shatter.

"Good girl." Rising from his seat, Conner leapt to the front of the vehicle and stepped through the hole in the glass. "Wait for me on the rooftop across the street. I'll signal you when I'm done here."

With one last series of beeps, the sentient vehicle backed up and headed to where she was instructed as her owner quietly made his way to the large desk Lex would occupy during the day and took a seat. The first thing Conner did after booting up the computer was go through each of the seven drawers in the off chance there was something in there worth finding. Aside from contracts, files, blank media disks, and gold plated pens with his name inscribed on them, there was nothing worth taking. However, just to be a thorn in his so-called 'father's' side, Conner did brake a few of the expensive writing instruments.

With a startup jingle, the computer was ready for use and waited for a password to be inputted to go into the desktop work area. Sneering and muttering how he hates hacking, Conner pulled out a small metal tin from a cargo pocket and lifted its lid off. It was something Dick had given him and the other team members a few years back and was constantly being updated every few months. Lock picks, glass cutters, small mirrors attached to stands and a jump drive were all neatly packed inside. In this case, the USB drive would be necessary.

A moment after plugging in the device to the CPU, several red bird designs popped up and slightly shook before turning blue and bringing up the desktop. Seeing the designs, Conner remembered when the birds were pixilated representations of Dick as Robin with an angry face until they turned green and smiled once the hacking was complete.

Bringing up the search tile, Conner began typing everything he could come up with into the empty space. Clone, Genomorph, Match, Project Kr, Superboy, those were just a few of the words he tried until narrowing down the suggested files to one. Once the file was clicked on, images of Conner's early stages of development were displayed. A video of several scientists began to play, showing them working around a tall tube of liquid with a small Genomorph inside. A black screen filled the monitor with the words 'Project Kr: Stage One'. A time lapse of days then played with the Genomorph growing within the tube. After the first week, the creature began to take on a human appearance by losing its horns and claws as well as growing hair.

Leaning in close to the screen, Conner couldn't take his eyes away from the video as the creature lost its gray skin tone and took on a more peach coloring before growing a tan, matching his own perfectly. The being was then clothed in a white solar suit with the red 'S' shield on the chest as it grew more 'masculine' body parts and began to resemble the face Conner had grown used to seeing in the mirror every day. The screen then cut to black as Doctor Desmond's face assumed the screen.

"July first, two thousand eleven. I, Doctor Desmond here at Cadmus Labs have successfully reached stage two of the project's development. At this time, Project Kr has obtained a full human appearance. Unlike the first clone, Match, Project Kr was created using a Genomorph base before receiving the DNA of Superman. However, to make sure the clone would not end up like Match, we fused our donor's DNA to the missing parts of the Kryptonian helix. So far, he has not shown any sign of rapid aging we cannot control and has not shown any signs of physical or mental break down. With this as a sign of success, we are now removing the blocks to his powers, allowing him to gain the same abilities as Superman. Imagine, a Superman for us, humanity to control."

Several seconds of footage rolled as several scientists were seen working on a computer terminal before Conner's old pod when Desmond popped up again.

"It has come to my attention the project known as Kr seems to be rejecting his full Kryptonian heritage his DNA brings. Our benefactors were right. Cloning a full blooded Kryptonian is impossible. So far, we have unlocked his invulnerability, advanced strength, endurance, stamina, healing, infrared vision, and hearing naturally. What we need is something to suppress his human genes, allowing his full power set to break through. As it is, Project Kr will be deemed a failiure if his powers are not on par with Superman's by the time he reaches full maturity within…seventeen additional weeks, give or take a day or two. On a side note, we have discovered something else that may pose a problem. When we made the Genomorphs, we gave them certain powers to help them carry on their assigned tasks. Project Kr is no different. We decided to go with an ability not seen in Superman, an ability that would give Kr the edge in battle should he ever have to destroy the so-called 'Man of Steel'. We have dubbed it TTK, short for Tactile Telekinesis. It would not be unlocked until the clone reaches approximately twenty one years of age, meaning he will have to stay in his pod for another five weeks according to how the aging process is being handled. Since this is a trait from the Genomorphs, we are, needless to say, very curious as to how-"

Before the video could get any further, the lights around the office lit up brightly, blinding Conner temporarily and forcing him to rub his eyes from the sudden change from low light to bright.

"My, boy," came a familiar voice, "if you wanted to meet with me, all you had to do was ask."

Immediately jumping out of his seat, Conner drew back a fist and readied himself for a fight. "Lex," he said through clinched teeth.

"Been up to espionage, I see." Calmly walking around to where his now empty seat was, he looked over what the hero was looking at and pushed a button on the keyboard to bring the video to a stop. He then unplugged the flash drive from the CPU. "Hacking into my office computer and going through my personal files is a serious offense. Not even Superman would do such a thing. Batman definitely, but not Superman."

Placing the device back within the metal case Conner left on the desk, Lex closed the lid and tossed it back to him. "I know the type of young man you are and won't waste your time. So, if you would, please, have a seat."

"I'd rather stand."

"Suit yourself." Looking behind the half clone of himself, Lex saw the large hole in the glass and sighed. "And just when I had my entire office repaired, I now have to get maintenance up here and repair the window."

"You can go ahead and tell your assistant to stop hiding," Conner told him. "I can see Mercy from here."

Stepping out of the shadows, the brunette assistant to Lex Luther made her way beside the large desk. As always, she was dressed in her gray business coat and skirt. "Should I alert security, Mister Luther?"

"That won't be necessary, Mercy. I have a feeling why Mister Kent is here tonight. In fact, I've been waiting for him to come here looking for answers to his questions."

"Enough of the games, Luther," Conner said with his eyes never leaving Mercy or Lex. "I just want to know exactly what I am."

"Ah, the obligatory question every adolescent must ask of themselves." Sitting in his chair, Lex scooted up to his desk in a show of how little of a threat the hero before him was. "Unfortunatly, that is a question I cannot answer for you as you must answer it yourself."

"The premature release from my pod? Missing powers? TTK? You have all the answers and I want them!"

"How about this for an answer, you are Project Kr. You are a failure to the scientists who created you in my and Superman's image. You are a shade of gray. You will never be on the same level as Superman and will always be seen as less than second best. Now if you believe any of those answers, than you obviously haven't been paying attention."

Conner eyed Lex suspiciously. Those thoughts had been running through his head since Nightwing told him what was on the flash drive.

"Conner, the truth is, you are your own man. You can make decisions on your own and for yourself without anyone else's input. However, I will tell you one thing no one else will and you can let your little friends know this as it will benefit them as well. In several months' time, something will happen. An event no one will ever see coming. When I first became part of The Light, I saw a chance to shape the world as I saw fit, and look at me, I'm in the United Nations. I generally have a hand in how the world works and there is little anyone can do to stand in my way."

Shifting his stance, Conner refused to lower his guard and kept his body tense in case of a trap.

"During your team's first year, I closely monitored every mission you were on. I had to see how my boy handles himself in the real world and can't help but feel proud of what you've done. You have shown yourself to be more than a mere weapon for as you see, a weapon needs to be handled and aimed at a target. A weapon needs to be taken care of and constantly modified to ensure it functions properly. You have shown me you are a weapon with a mind of its own, a nuclear bomb with the ability to judge when and where it will detonate. But that's not all."

"Wishing it were," Conner said. "Villain monologues can be boring at times."

A smirk crept up on Lex's stone-like face. "The Light planned to take over the League from the beginning. We put together numerous back up plans should some unforeseen circumstance arise, which is where your and Roy Harpers creations come in, the mental command words, the missing Leaguers, and lapse in time. Five years of biding our time after you managed to take back control, making back alley deals with outside forces such as The Reach, the Krolotanians, the court associates of Rimbor, and a certain bounty hunter to alert you of a silent invasion were all used to obtain that which we want."

"Which is?"

"Now where's the fun in telling you that much?" Signaling to his assistant, Lex relaxed back in his chair and watched as Mercy handed Conner a stack of papers assembled neatly between blue cardstock, resembling a thick book.

"Inside what Mercy has given you are all of our plans to answer the questions you will have regarding The Light. Why would Count Vertigo suddenly attempt to have his niece killed? Political power of course. If enough of The Light were in positions of power, the easier it would be to bring in our own brand of justice. Why would we sit back and allow The Reach to carry out so many things to harm humanity when we want to have it advance itself naturally without the help of super powered do gooders? Well, you have the answer to that as we have War World, kept the League's heavy hitters off world, and at the same time, save the Earth from annihilation. We were even behind the attack Mongol launched to flush out all The Reach's ships here on Earth. Oh, and here's a free one, the Reach drink I was having released to the public? It contains an advanced form of the Starro tech we used to control the league, not in the water, but in the plastic to be absorbed through the lips to control those with Meta Genes on the verge of developing."

Looking up from the booklet, Conner stared at Lex in surprise. "Why…why would you let us know all of this? We could put all your plans to a stop."

"Why would I tell you all of our secrets? It's actually due to the fact you and your band of heroes will no doubt find a way to stop us. You always have and always will. But what's to say we don't have an ulterior motive? What's stopping us from putting together a plan involving me giving you this information? Or what if this is part of a plan within a plan? You see, since your first outing as a team, I knew it was the Atlantian who would become your leader, hence the replacement of Ocean Master with Black Manta and the attack on Atlantis, which unfortunately involved Aquagirl's untimely demise. I knew the Boy Wonder would take it personally if we had Parasite use Hadley's Circus as a cover to draw your attention away from us for a while. We also knew the archer with family issues and the developing witch would join your little club later on. The Speedster's metabolic rate while running across the country to save that little princess, easily calculated to make sure he would run out of fuel by the time he would get there. However, it's not our fault Vertigo failed in his attempt at power. And as for the Martian…it's a shame we couldn't see what her mental capabilities could really do, even though we had a feeling she could rip apart a mind and reduce its owner to nothing more than a vegetable. We know so much about you and your precious little team; it would shock you if you ever truly found out everything we know."

With his eyes going from Lex to Mercy and back, Conner turned his head slightly to the side and shouted for Sphere. Within a few seconds, the Supercycle was hovering just outside the office building, waiting for her rider. "Whatever game you're pulling here, Lex, we'll find out. And whatever this…event is you're referring to, trust me, we will face it and beat it."

"Wouldn't you want to know what it is?" Lex asked in a tone filled with superiority. He indeed didn't see Conner as a threat and made it perfectly clear.

"Coming from you? No. Chances are, it'll be a lie. Chances are this…book is a lie. We'll just be ready in the meantime."

"Trust me when I say this, Conner; you will come back to me, you will seek my help, and you will feel as if you were all alone. You need the Cadmus pod to…mature. For when a man is faced with a force he cannot stop, he does one of two things; he goes against everything he stands for to overcome it, or he simply destroys himself. For you, I hope it's the former."

Sneering at the smooth headed man, Conner went over to the hole in the window. "Anything else you have to say, Luther?"

"Yes, one more thing actually." A smirk appeared on the industrialist's lips. "Say hi to Superman for me. I do so miss our little chats."

With a roll of his eyes and a low growl, the Kryptonian hybrid climbed back in the pilot's seat of Sphere and flew away from the building.

"If you don't mind me asking," Mercy spoke. "Why did you give him information on what your associates have planned?"

"Because, dear Mercy," Lex answered. "I didn't get to where I am by not stepping on a few people. The ones making up The Light may have their own agendas, only mine are a bit more practical than theirs are. In the meantime…"

Typing in a few keys on his computer, Lex brought a file up on screen of a red 'X' within a red shield.

**AN: I just want to address two things at this point. For Logan, a guest reviewer, I'm trying to stick to the series and comics as well as I can and Match died or something in one of the issues, but a trace of him is involved in this. For Blak-Ice, when I said I plead the fifth, I meant I can neither confirm or deny if any new ones will be brought in, but (SPOILER ALERT EVERYONE), right now, I have about six additional characters waiting in the wings to come into play with several more I've picked out to possibly make an appearance down the line, all with slightly tweaked origins and or powers (similar to what they did in the show), so it shouldn't be too far out there for the die-hard fans of each character.**


	15. Chapter 15

5.

Watchtower

September 05, 08:42 UTC

Assembled in the early morning in the Watchtower were what some considered the big three of the League, the icons themselves. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman stood before the large window overlooking Earth. The day prior was still fresh on their minds with the story Starfire told them.

Apparently, when Krypton was destroyed, a woman named Granny Goodness was allowed to spare a child to add to her ranks. Starfire described her as a warrior with a vicious streak and need to have her generals be all female, the reason being unknown. As for the child she abducted, she was raised to be one of her Female Furies, if not the leader of them just under Granny herself. What happened to the girl was anyone's guess but the highest possibility was she was trained since she was able to walk in battlefield tactics, making sure she was worthy of leading the Furies when she came of age. If the woman Cassandra and Diana fought the other day was indeed that child, then she was denied aging for quite some time as she appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen.

When it came to the identity of the one responsible for the planet's destruction, Starfire informed them of a dark god inhabiting a near lifeless planet and was only interested in the takeover of others with plenty of raw resources for his use. He enslaved those he defeated while killing the ones who would stand in his way of conquest until he was faced with a near defeat by the ones called The New Gods. This news surprised Conner who had a run in with several of the New Gods years ago.

Upon the near defeat, The New Gods created a treaty with him. The document stated he was forever confined to his world, Apokolips, and could not leave or conquer others unless they were uninhabited. When asked why he would have Krypton destroyed and break the treaty, Starfire explained he indirectly had it destroyed by having a hand in the development of Brainiac with the reason being revenge for the Kryptonians refusing to bow to him and make him their God Leader decades before and the refusal of taking what he wanted from the planet.

As the three stood silently, a set of heavy footsteps entered the room. Since admitting the black ops team to the Watchtower, members of the League were used to meeting with the younger generation at all hours of the day. As it was, the three assembled waited for Conner who had contacted them on what he was up to last night. Turning to see the young clone of Superman, Wonder Woman took a sip of her coffee to help wake her up, Superman was known to wake with the sun, and Batman, it was like the man never slept to begin with.

"I need you all to look at this," Conner said as he held up the booklet Lex had given him. He looked to have gone without sleep for some time, an appearance his human side was responsible for.

"Is that what you obtained from Luther?" Superman asked as he stepped forward. To his surprise, the book in question was thrown at him and caught before hitting the iconic 'S' shield on his chest.

"I stayed up reading it. He knew about everything we were doing," the semi Kryptonian growled. "He anticipated Kaldur becoming the leader. He knew about Wally's top speed and how long it takes his metabolism to burn. He even knew about Artemis before she was added to the team!"

"Conner, calm down," Wonder Woman said.

"Calm down? How can I calm down if Lex knows what's going to happen before we do?!"

"Conner," Superman sternly said. "Take a deep breath and start from the beginning. We need to know what happened before we go any-"

"Dick told me what was on the flash drive Artemis brought back. It stated I was a failure and incomplete so I went to Luther's main building in Metropolis to see what I could find."

"And what was that?" Wonder Woman asked.

"What I've been telling you! He knew everything before we did! He even has a list of plans he's been working on with options in case they didn't work. He doesn't see us as a threat and has told me about his new version of the Reach drink and how it was going to control those with near active Meta genes. He's been ten steps ahead of us the entire time."

As Superman flipped through the booklet, Conner continued to inform them on everything including a potential power Luther had touched on and the only way he could obtain it would be by going back to him and Cadmus. As he went on, Batman, with his unchanging gaze, took in everything the clone was saying. Not even he anticipated the billionaire villain of such a feat, but the fact Luther disclosed possible information to them had The Dark Knight considering going into the building himself. It had to be a trap if such delicate material were passed on to them, even if Conner told them Luther anticipated they will always stop him.

"Conner, what you did was ill advised," Wonder Woman admonished. "You went into enemy territory alone and without alerting anyone. Luther could have done anything he wanted to you and left us with another lost team member. You need-"

Stepping forward, Batman brought Wonder Woman to a stop. "While your actions last night were not the best decision for your own wellbeing, it must be noted you did have Luther reveal potential plans he has yet to put into motion."

"Batman, you can't possibly be considering following up on these. They could be traps or false leads for all we know."

"Luther is smart, Diana. He would not give away information such as this if he were not planning something bigger in the long run. The League will follow up on what we find in here while the team stays on standby should any more of these other world aggressors show themselves. It is too much of a coincidence for four female beings challenging us in isolated spots. Luther obviously knows more than he's letting on and must be seen as a severe threat that hasn't made his move yet."

"So what do you suggest for the meantime?" Superman asked. "We need to expose Luther for what he's doing."

"That's easier said than done," Wonder Woman stated.

"Correct," Batman said. "As a U.N. representative, he has political pull. He can easily cover up anything we accuse him of doing the moment he gets word of it."

"Maybe that's his next move," Conner broke in. "Maybe he's planning on running for president and controlling all of America."

The hybrid's words were followed by a moment of silence as if they had just figured out Lex's ultimate plan.

"Could it be possible?" Wonder Woman asked. "If he were to disclose this information to us, he could also stop whatever is documented in this and be rid of the evidence."

"His hands would be clean," Superman added. "And we would be made a mockery with him knowing we would be unable to prove anything even if we did turn something up. It would be our word against his."

"And with Godfrey prattling on about how the League should be employed by the government lately-"

"He's already gained a quarter of America on his side," Batman said. "The Light's overall plan with The Reach was not to frame the League and take over the world, it was to make us incapable of operating without a government telling us what we can and cannot do."

"Our identities would be public knowledge." Superman sat the booklet down on a long conference table as he thought of his adoptive Earth parents and Lois. If the world knew who he really was, then they would be in danger by any number of super villians, criminals, or terrorists.

"Paradise Island, Atlantis, Mars, The Fortress of Solitude," Wonder Woman muttered. "the Batcave. All our private bases and homes would be-"

"We would be forced to work for him."

"And if not," Batman looked at the other two founders of The League, "chances are, he'll turn to Cadmus for our replacements."

No one said a word as they thought of what Luther may have planned. The League needed to be free to operate as it currently did. The Light would be able to be rid of the concept of 'superheroes', exactly as they had planned to do from the beginning to allow humanity to progress 'naturally'. And if The Light's members were in control, there was no telling what kind of problems they would seek to cause.

"We have work to do." Grabbing the booklet, Batman made his way out of the room to the Watchtower's war room with Wonder Woman behind him.

Left behind, Superman turned to his 'brother' and crossed his arms over his chest. "Despite how you went about it, good work. But next time calm down and notify us to be ready as backup before going in alone. I can't imagine what Ma would do to me if something happened to you."

Letting out a yawn, Conner nodded. "So what do you think Batman's going to do?"

"Chances are he'll go over every detail in that book at least several hundred times." Looking at the slightly shorter Kryptonian, he could see the tiredness in his eyes. "And you need some sleep."

"I'll rest when I'm dead. I still have work to do."

"It's an order. I don't want to see you back here or out in the field for at least twenty four hours, understood? Besides, I could always call ma to make sure where you're supposed to be."

Rolling his eyes and letting out a growl, Conner lamented. "Whatever. But what are you going to be doing in the meantime?"

Uncrossing his arms, Superman placed his hands on his hips, somewhat striking the pose he was known for. "Seems like I need to get some answers as well."

"You're going to the Fortress?"

"Yeah."

"Think, um, think Jor-El would speak to me if I went this time?"

Placing a hand on Conner's shoulder, Superman let out a sigh. "I don't think so. I'm still talking to him about letting the place respond to you. He still doesn't see the Kryptonian in you."

"Sure." Turning away, Conner's shoulders sagged as he headed back for the Zeta Tubes, leaving Superman alone beside the window with Earth behind him.

Fortress of Solitude

September 05, 10:57 UTC

In the center of a frozen valley at the World's most northern point, a large crystal-like building stretched out to touch the sky. It looked to be something out of an epic fantasy like the castle of a mystical entity able to control the frozen elements. Ice capped mountains stood to either side of it as a steady wind swept the loose snowflakes across the area. The light from the sun shone brightly off the reflective surface of the frozen water, which was blinding at times as the entire land was a pristine shade of white.

High above the ground, a red and blue blur flew towards the structure. Of the three pointed towers, the streak headed for the center crystalline pylon and landed before a receding door. It didn't take long for it to completely open and allow Superman access inside. Usually he would take his time and look over the various otherworldly animals he obtained from the Collector of Worlds; however, he was here for different reasons than rest or relaxation.

"Father." Reaching the central hub of a large crystal filled room, Superman ascended several steps and stood before a tall Kryptonian crystal where the image of Jor-El, his father, appeared in a silver and grey cloak with the 'S' shield on its front. Despite a few differences in appearances, they were nearly a split image each other.

"Father, I need advice. Lex Luther appears to be making a move to gain more power by giving The League information on his future plans. Batman has his theories but what I want to know is why would he do this? Why would he give us possible information on what he's doing if he's anticipating for us to stop him?"

Looking down at his son, Jor-El's image increased to where his face and torso were larger. "My son, you have been standing against this human for years and have told me all he has done. If he expects you to put a stop to his plans, it may be he is tiring of confronting you."

"But this is Luther, a man who always has an ulterior motive behind everything he does. He is the one who manipulated political powers to assume his current position among the leaders of the world. He is the one who arranged for assassination attempts on various foreign powers for his associates so focus would be taken off of them and put somewhere else. He has gone so far as to create a clone to replace or destroy me. I just need to know, why would he do this?"

"That, Kal-El, is a question you already have the answer to."

Surprised by the holographic representation of his father, Superman found himself unable to think of a possible answer to his own question. He thought long and hard about possible reasons why Lex would do such a thing considering his past schemes. It was as if he were planning on betraying The Light from the beginning and actually wanting the League to take them down.

"Is it possible Luther wants us to clean up his messes so he comes away clean for political gains?"

"Politics bring power. Something I learned during our planet's last days."

"Luther's always been one for power. But would it be wise to pursue this? It could be a false lead, meant for us to waste time to allow him to carry on without our interference or we could fall into a trap."

"That, my son, is a chance you must take."

Letting out a sigh, Superman lowered his head. "There's too much of a chance someone will be hurt because of him. As much as I don't trust Luther or believe this information is false…I only hope something good can come from this."

"And that is all you can do for the time being," Jor-El told him. "Remember, even in the darkest of times, when all seems lost, there is still always hope. And that is what will save these people."

"Speaking of which, what about Conner? Is there any way the fortress can be-"

"As I have told you once before, Kal-El, your clone is not welcome here. He is not a true Kryptonian."

"How is he not a true Kryptonian? He carries our blood. He's essentially me."

"He was not born or our people, only created and can never live up to his heritage."

Stepping up to the image of his father, Superman moved several crystals on a nearby slab and repositioned the image of Jor-El so he was standing face to face with him "Father, please, give him a chance. I once thought that way but he has shown he is one of us. He may not be a full Kryptionian, but he has carved out his own place in this world."

"He is still an abomination. Unless he has proven he in fact is a true Kryptonian, I cannot allow him to have control of all that is left of our home, our people, and our heritage. Your concern should be on the other Kryptonian, the female who attacked the Amazons."

"Why is she any different?"

"Upon her arrival here on Earth, I could sense her bloodline. Her presence raises questions on the true fate of our people. If there is one who has survived with you, there may be others out there as well. She is of your lineage, a cousin."

"Cousin?" Superman stepped up closer to the large crystal. "Are you sure?"

"You must find a way to her. Have her see the path she follows is not one worthy of any being, that she should aspire to greater things other than being someone's blind follower."

"I will try. But is it true Braniac wasn't solely responsible for the destruction of Krypton? Could he have been used to carry out someone's orders?"

"Why ask such a question? I have told you I have input everything I know into these crystals. If there is something else I was not made aware of before my passing, you will not be able to find it here. Who told you of this?"

"It was The Team's newest recruit, the Tameranian girl, Starfire."

"Tameranian…they are an ancient race. There may be some truth to what she has told you as my knowledge of the event was put together by only what I was able to discover."

"Alright. I'll think about this more. But in the meantime, remember I accepted Conner over time, just as the world accepted me. If this girl is truly Kryptonian, then you must see Conner is the same. Clone or not." Taking his leave, the Man of Steel descended the steps and headed out of the fortress with the holographic essence of Jor-El slowly fading out.

Smallville - Hidden Underground Laboratory

September 12, 13:42 UTC

Within the underground laboratory Vandal Savage and The Light had sat up, a cleanup crew was still working diligently to clean up the mess left behind by Desaad a few days ago. Computers were destroyed, equipment lay scattered around, and lab workers were being cleaned off the floor, walls, and ceiling. However, the pod containing the strange gray sliver was untouched with the thing inside having taken on a cocoon-like appearance. Lex Luther calmly looked the area over as Mercy stood behind him. Vandal Savage made his way through the lab, making sure none of the remains of the scientists stuck to his boots.

"Tell me," Vandal said "Is there any footage of the ones who did this?"

"None you would care to see," Luther answered. "All it is, is of a Boom Tube opening behind our friend Desaad then static. However, Mercy has picked up on trace amounts of Apokalyptic energy. There was also a message left by our associate with strict instructions to not tamper with his creation."

Sweeping his gaze across the room, as well as watching a worker scoop up something with a large shovel, he developed a sickening smile. "I have to say, I am impressed with what happened. Perhaps I should enlist those responsible for this to guard War World. I would enjoy seeing their…handiwork for myself."


	16. Part 4: Double Date - Chapter 16

Part 4: Double Date

1.

Grand Canyon

October 01, 13:27 UTC

"Ok guys, be ready to deploy in twenty six seconds." Manning the controls of her Bioship, Miss Martian guided the flying vehicle across the state of Arizona on an impromptu mission. Clouds exploded as the otherworldly machine streaked across the wide open blue sky with how fast the ship was currently traveling. She mentally commanded her ship to create a hole for her two teammates to exit through.

"Not soon enough," Wonder Girl said as she bounced on her heels, clearly excited. "Can't wait to get down there and take on Tupppance."

"Just remember there are two of them down there," Miss Martian reminded her. "Tuppence and Tommy are strong enough to give you and Superboy a good fight. After I drop you two off, Static and Beast Boy should be ready for pick up. If you have any trouble, contact me via mental link and we'll be here in no time."

Standing over the hole in the ship's floor, Superboy made sure his fingerless gloves were on tight as well as popping his knuckles as he knelt down to dive through the exit. Wonder Girl soon joined him and bounced slightly, waiting to engage the enemy.

"Drop zone reached in five, four, three, two, go!" Miss Martian announced. "_Good luck you two."_

Diving out first, Wonder Girl let out a "WHOO HOO!" as she flew headfirst to the ground below.

"_Be careful, Conner,"_ the Martian mentally told her veteran teammate.

With a smirk, he replied, "_You know me._" He put his hands on the sides of the makeshift door. "_I'm gonna ask you out when I come back." _Before she could say, or think anything, Superboy had dove out headfirst after Wonder Girl.

Below the incoming duo, two super powered individuals were hurriedly making their way through the canyon with large packs on their backs. Both were dressed alike with brown hiking boots, desert camo cargo pants, red suspenders, and tight white tank tops.

The larger of the two was known as Tommy Terror, a known felon and henchman for hire. He resembled a walking mountain with the amount of muscle on him with his short blond hair adding to his overall 'tough-guy' appearance.

The woman, Tuppence Terror, ran a few steps behind her three minute older brother. The only difference in their matching clothing was her tank top being ripped to show off her abs, something she was proud of along with her buff yet still feminine looking biceps. Her blond hair swayed behind her as she leapt over a fallen tree to keep up with her brother.

"Hurry up, sis!" Tommy yelled over his shoulder. "Mammoth and Shimmer ain't gonna wait up for us much longer."

"Well if someone hadn't crashed the truck after robbin' the last gas station," Tuppence shouted back, "we wouldn't be behind on time!"

"Don't make no difference, they got a good shot of the plates an' us before we could get out of there."

"That's why I told you to get rid of the plates an' to wear a mask to hide your ugly mug!"

"Ain't that puttin' yourself down, bein' we're twins an' all"

"Nah, you got the ugly, Ah got the looks and brains."

As the two continued on their set course, neither were none the wiser of Superboy and Wonder Girl descending on them. At the last possible moment, the blonde heroine reached out and caught her partner's wrist to both slow his fall to Earth and to toss him at the back of Tommy. As Superboy shot forward, he straightened out his legs and nailed a missile dropkick to the elder twin's back as Wonder Girl landed a shoulder thrust to Tuppence's side, sending her into the rocky gorge wall.

"Who thuh?" Tommy yelled as he got back to his feet and saw Superboy rushing him. "Clone boy? You just-" His words were cut off by a Kryptonian fist connecting with his jaw.

"Oh, great," Tuppence said as she climbed out of the hole Wonder Girl created from the impact. "Big bro gets the hot head and I get the ditz."

"Who're you calling a ditz, Sasquatch?" Attacking head on, Wonder Girl went for another punch to Tuppence's face but was stopped when her fist was grabbed. She threw her other fist in an attack but that was caught as well then was met with a headbutt to the face.

"Ah take it Wonder Woman never taught you that one." Winding up, Tuppence threw a haymaker at her opponent but was dodged and flipped over onto her back.

"No, but she taught me that one and this." Lifting her leg, Wonder Girl stomped hard on the female twin's chest. "Now get up, I've been aching for a good fi-"

"You talk too much, blondie." Performing a spin kick on her back, Tuppence managed to get back to her feet and throw another punch at Wonder Girl's head. She missed as her fist smashed into the rocky wall behind the heroine with the two engaged in a back and forth battle for dominance.

Five miles away above the fight, Beast Boy and Static were just finishing their mop up. Shimmer was lying on the ground unconscious with several other soldiers armed with Apocalyptic weapons while Mammoth attacked Static by hurling a metal container at him.

"Oh, come on," Static shouted as the object flew past him. "This ain't no skeet shooting contest, big guy. This is more like shooting fish in a barrel."

Riding on a glowing blue disk, Static charged his hands up with energy and unleashed an electrical shockwave at the cracked skin villain. Hundreds of bright blue finger-like tendrils emerged from his hands and surrounded Mammoth to deliver a massive shock to his body. As the large criminal fell to his knees, the saucer riding teen forcibly collided his disk into mammoth's face, knocking him out after a lengthy battle.

"'Bout time you went to sleep. Had to amp up the power to bring you down." Touching ground, the disk beneath Static's feet shrank to the size of a quarter and landed in his hand. He no longer had to carry around a Manhole cover to ride on as his training with Black lightning helped him in using smaller objects to provide him a mode of transportation.

"About time you finished," Beast Boy said as he morphed from an antelope to his usual self. "I finished taking down Shimmer and eight bad guys to your one."

"Well I also took out their defenses and five guards, plus, Mammoth's a really, really big guy."

Upon his last words, the sound of the Bioship came over them with Miss Martian floating down and looking over their handiwork. "Good job, guys. Any idea as to what they were doing up here?"

"Mammoth and Shimmer had men stationed like they were waiting for something. It looked like they were planning on leaving with the amount of gear they had," Static explained.

"Yeah, they also didn't have time to get to the really heavy stuff. It wasn't hard to take them down," Garfield added. "Aside from the remaining supply crates, and smashed teleporter thing, there's nothing else here."

"We also overheard them saying the twins were late on getting here. Whatever they were planning or going, it didn't look like they were coming back anytime soon."

"Alright, you two go ahead and get on the Bioship," the Martian girl ordered. "I'll plant the beacon for the league to pick them up after restraining them so we can pick up the others."

Forming his disk again, Static levitated up to the red ship as Beast Boy morphed into a falcon. As for Miss Martian, she held out her hands and had the men, Shimmer, and Mammoth come together in one mass before burying them up to their shoulders in the hard desert dirt. She levitated two restraining collars and fitted them around the two super villain's necks before tossing a small square gadget on the ground used to summon those in The League then headed back to her ship and took off to retrieve their two other teammates.

Back in the canyon, Wonder Girl took to the air with Tuppence over her head and slammed her into the ground when Superboy flew past her and crashed into the wall beside the female criminal.

"Superboy!" she shouted a moment before a pair of large arms wrapped around her from behind and brought her down.

"Looks like your boyfriend needs to learn to fight southern style." Tightening his grip, Tommy began to shake the blonde heroine in a bear hug.

"You mean like this?" Pulling her head forward, Wonder Girl snapped her head backwards and rammed the back of her skull into Tommy's nose, drawing blood. She followed that up with a stomp to his foot, making him bend down to receive an uppercut to the face. "Aww, looks like someone needs to learn to fight like a girl."

As Wonder Girl charged through the air to continue her attack, Superboy found himself with Tuppence suddenly mounting him on the wall with her elbow constantly hammering away at his face. Finding an opening when she drew her arm back, Superboy connected with an elbow of his own, forcing her back. Not letting that deter her, Tuppence wiped some spittle from her mouth and once again went to straddle the Kryptonian-human hybrid and leaned in close.

"You know, you're the only man who's ever made me feel anything, an' Ah'm gonna return the favor." With both her booted feet on opposite sides of his waist and hands grasping the collar of his shirt, Tuppence pulled him forward as hard as she could and threw him over her head into the hard rocky floor. She then backflipped off her perch and drove both feet into Superboy's chest before grabbing him by the feet and swinging him into a rock structure face first then threw him into the river behind them. His body skipped like a stone along the surface before going under.

Surfacing quickly, Superboy wiped his face of excess water and was soon joined by Wonder Girl. The moment she surfaced, she spit out a mouthful of river water and cleared her hair from her face.

"These two are really starting to get to me!" Wonder Girl said as she watched the twins mock her and Superboy from the shore. "What do we do? Hey, Superboy! HEY!" Pushing her partner's shoulder, she finally got his attention. "Hey, get your head in the game and let's take these two down!"

Turning to face Wonder Girl, Superboy glared at her, not because of the way she got his attention, but for the way he zoned out. His attention hadn't really been on his missions or training since the information Nightwing and Lex had given him. It was actually getting to him more and more each day he thought about it. "Right, you take Tuppence, I'll take Tommy."

"But how are we-"

"Tie her up or something, just take her out," he yelled as he made his way out of the water to fight Tommy again as Wonder Girl let out a huff and took to the air.

"Back for more?" Tommy asked. "Didn't you get enough the last time?"

Letting out a roar, Superboy ran out of the river and tackled the male twin into a mound of dirt and rock. He began to deliver a series of punches with his full strength behind every blow. Letting out grunt after grunt, Tommy's head violently whipped from side to side as fists crashed into his jaw, temples, and cheeks. With a strong shove, the elder twin managed to push his attacker off him and roll over to where he was on all fours.

"Son, Ah'm gonna-" Cutting Tommy off was Superboy's boot meeting his face, forcing him to flip over from the force channeled into his head and ending the fight.

"Superboy!" Wonder Girl called as she flew over to him and dropped the restrained Tuppence on the ground. "Oh good, I got mine too."

"_M'gann, ready for pick up._" Superboy mentally said to Miss Martian then turned to face Tuppence who was being held in Wonder Girl's rope. "What were you two doing here?"

Fighting the effects of the golden Amazonian rope, Tuppence soon discovered it was futile as the truth came spilling out of her mouth. "We were tryin' tuh get to the rendezvous point with Shimmer and Mammoth." Shaking her head, the younger of the twins looked back up at the two heroes. "Ugh, what's happening?"

"Shut up," Superboy ordered. "Why were you meeting up with those two?"

"To get out of here."

"Why?"

"The Light's orders."

Grabbing the woman by the collar of her shirt, Superboy forced her to her feet. "Why were you getting out of here and where were you going?"

"Ah'm…ragh…Ah'm not sure. We just got word to clear out and meet the others for a Boom Tube pickup with whoever was left. They wouldn't tell us any more than that."

"You think this has something to do with War World?" Wonder Girl asked Superboy. "We haven't been able to find it even with the information we got."

"Don't know." A moment after those words were said, the Bioship came to a stop over the four and hovered in place. "We'll probably dump these two off with the others Static and Beast Boy intercepted and let The League take them in. Let them handle their interrogation."

"_Superboy, Wonder Girl_," Miss Martian telepathically said as a hole opened up on the underside of the ship. "_Beta team's handled the others and all have been incapacitated and collared. The Green Lanterns should be here in less than three minutes. What do want to do with the Terror twins?_"

"_Drop them off with the others,_" Superboy told her. _"They were ordered by what's left with The Light to get out of here for some reason but even they don't know what for._"

"_Alright, on my way down with extra collars and cables._"

With the criminals subdued and the arrival of both Green Lanterns, the team headed back to base. Wonder Girl was the first to change out of her wet clothes in the cargo area of the ship and came out in a pair of jeans and a Ramones shirt. Superboy, on the other hand, came out in a dry pair of the exact same clothes he had on, a pair of navy blue cargo pants and a black long sleeved shirt with the 'S' shield on the front.

"Wish we didn't have to go to and from space all the time," Virgil, Static, said as the ship finished making its way through the atmosphere. "Wish that cave of yours was still around."

"Or at least The Hall," Garfield stated. "Somewhere we can debrief a little closer to home."

"I vote we should use the Batcave," Cassie said as she gathered her rope.

"You always say that," Virgil pointed out. "Just have Tim pass it on to Batman and-"

"I've tried that. You'd think he would sneak his girlfriend into a dark place for some alone time, but no. He just says he gets the Batglare, shudders, then changes the subject."

"Batglare's a WMT." M'gann said. "Weapon of mass terror."

Watchtower

October 01, 16:16 UTC

After the standard debriefing, those involved with the surprise mission exited one of the conference rooms within the large orbital base stationed above the Earth. It had been blind luck they were able to pick up on what was going on and were close enough to get there on time after receiving an emergency call to help redirect a wildfire in Arizona.

"Oh man," Garfield said as he stretched, "that took forever."

"It was only ten minutes, Gar," M'gann told him.

"Ten minutes is like an hour to a thirteen year old."

"How soon I forget."

As the two blood siblings continued down the hall, Conner came out of the conference room and took off his gloves. One look at the back of M'gann almost made him forget what he was going to do as he found himself nervous for some reason. Jonathan Kent's words were going through his head as were all the things he had thought of saying to her. All of that went out the window the closer he got to her.

"Uh, M'gann? Can I talk to you for a moment?" Conner asked. He then saw Garfield sticking around with his curious eyes bouncing from one to the other and a small smirk barely noticeable on him. "A…alone?"

What he said earlier came back to her, making her eyes open wide she remembered what he intended to do. "Oh, um, Gar, can you please give me and Con…" Looking around, she saw the green boy wasn't there anymore.

"Yeah, well, like I said earlier, I wanted to ask you out tomorrow night. If you're not busy that is."

"Um, no, I'm not busy." She could feel the green skin of her face heat up and knew she was blushing the same way she used to when he would look at her or give her a compliment when the team first started out.

As the two spoke, a pair of pointed green ears picked up on their conversation, causing the owner of said ears to grin as he pet Wolf. He couldn't help but think his blood sister and friend might need his help tomorrow night and began formulating a plan to make sure things would go smoothly for the two.

**AN: I ain't gonna lie, I really enjoyed writing this next part and have been waiting to post it and I hope ya'll like what I have in store here. But what pairing, if any, will be in here? Will a new character get involved? You'll just have to wait and see.**

**Also, (off the subject), how great is it Teen Wolf and Falling Skies are back on for their new seasons? Seriously, those two, Walking Dead, Big Bang Theory, and WWE Raw and Smackdown are my favorite shows right now that I don't miss.**


	17. Chapter 17

2.

Chicago

October 02, 16:57 UTC

For the last several minutes, M'gann had been met with a challenge every woman goes through. An event so monumental, she needs the help of her closest girlfriends to add their input. But when a woman's closest friends happen to be superheroes and part of a global police-like army, it could be a little difficult at times to have one drop by for opinions.

Right now, the emerald colored Martian wished Artemis wasn't all the way in Gotham, Zatanna wasn't in the Tower of Fate, Cassie wasn't on a mission with Tim, and Karen and Raquel weren't on watch duty in the orbiting base. She was so desperate for input, she even considered asking the new member, Starfire, for help but she was training with Nightwing, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

Letting out another sigh, M'gann turned the page of a fashion magazine and had her skin morph to match what the model wore. She was now dressed in a pair of knee high black boots and a denim babydoll dress. Shaking her head once she saw herself in the mirror, she morphed her clothes into a pair of basic black pants with a red, long sleeved top.

"This won't do either." She had her skin morph several more times, copying looks from Taylor Swift, Angelina Jolie, Selina Gomez, and other celebrities. "Come on, he'll be here in an hour and I've been in here changing for that long already."

She felt the same as she did when she and Conner shared their first date years ago. Back then, a simple cardigan sweater, matching skirt, and a white under shirt was enough for her to feel comfortable in. Now it was completely different as they were finally going out as a reunited couple and she wanted to look as nice as she could. She would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous but this was her chance to make up for her mistake and betrayal months earlier and counted herself lucky to be given a second chance. Feeling the twists her stomach was going through, she reached over to her dresser and grabbed her glass of water where she had put two Alka-Seltzers in it and drank its contents in one gulp. After letting out a burp, one she hoped Garfield didn't hear from the living room, she went back to morphing her clothing in an attempt to find something she liked.

Smallville

October 02, 17:01 UTC

Within the barn of the Kent farm, Conner was searching for the last article of clothing he needed before he ran into the house for a quick shower. Carrying out the chores the Kents gave him as well as a trip to town to pick up several bags of food for Wolf, was the cause of him being in a rush. A pile of clothes sat on his bed with one of his boots, where the other one was he didn't know. He checked under his bed by lifting it up but only found an empty bag of hot pork rinds, a large plastic container, and dust, plenty of dust. He lifted the couch next only to find his missing copy of _War and Peace_, a half filled Gatorade bottle,and even more dust.

"Where could it be?" he muttered to himself as he kept searching the top floor of the barn.

After turning up nothing, he leapt down to the ground floor and searched the darkened areas when he heard a growl followed by the sound of leather tearing. Closing his eyes tightly and hoping it wasn't what he thought it was, the super strong young man turned towards a pile of blankets Wolf slept on to see the animal gnawing on his missing boot.

"Wolf!" He yelled as he stomped over to the white animal. He grabbed his boot, what was left of it, and released a growl of anger. It was literally in shreds. "Wolf, I told you not to chew on my boots."

The venom enhanced animal liked his lips as he stared at his master's ruined footwear.

"How many times have I told you, 'NO CHEWING MY BOOTS'?" Knowing the animal couldn't respond, and seeing the way he looked at the boots turned snack, Conner let out a frustrated sigh then tossed the ruined footwear down. He then leapt back up to the top floor and tossed the other boot down. "Here, you ruined one, might as well ruin the other."

With his pet now gnawing on the other boot, Conner pulled out the large plastic box from under his bed and pulled the top off. Inside were twenty more pairs of the SWAT styled steel toed boots he always wore and pulled out a new pair. He then grabbed his clothes and jumped back down to the ground.

"If we have leftovers, you're not getting any," he said as he passed by Wolf and headed to the house for a quick shower.

It didn't take him long to clean up and shave, the latter was something Martha wanted him to start doing every day now as she never liked her husband or Clark with stubble. He was no exception and had to abide by her wishes. What power she possessed to make them do as she asked, he would never know. Now dressed in his new boots, a pair of dark blue jeans, and a white dress shirt, he felt ready to go out on his first date in almost a year.

Seeing himself dressed in white reminded him of the first time he met the Martian and had her uniform top change color to match his. It was one of his favorite memories of her and reminded himself of the time when he wore a shirt like hers as a surprise. Seeing the white shirt with a red 'X' across it, in red duct tape no less, had her smile brightly before leaping into his arms and planting a kiss on him. It was a small gesture that wound up being a big memory for them both after that.

"Second chance," he huffed. After running his hand through his hair and taking one last look in the mirror, he grabbed his leather jacket and headed downstairs and out to the barn.

Watching form under the half floor above her, Sphere saw Conner remove a tarp from something he rolled out from a makeshift room. With the covering gone, the mechanical object was able to see a black and silver Harley Davidson Fat Boy. She quickly rolled up to Conner and his bike where she let out a series of beeps before transforming into her supercycle mode.

"No, I can't take you with me this time, girl. I'm not going on a mission."

The sentient machine beeped some more.

"Look, I'm going out with M'gann and don't want anything involving the League, The Team, The Light, or work in general. This night's just me and her."

Letting out what sounded like a sad beep, Sphere turned back into her ball form and rolled back to her spot.

"Don't be like that. It's just for the night. This thing can't fly or fight like you can."

Listening to several more beeps, Conner rolled his Harley to the waiting Zeta Tube and narrowed his eyes as the bright light activated.

**RECONIZED, SUPERBOY, B, ZERO, FOUR.**

A flash later, and he was gone.

Chicago

October 02, 17:58 UTC

"Gar! Have you seen my phone?" Hurrying through her apartment, M'gann turned over every pillow on the couches, seat cushions, throw blankets, and lifted the furniture with her telekinesis but couldn't find the device she was searching for.

"Did you try next to the fridge? That's normally where you charge it." While sitting on the floating couch, Garfield continued playing his video game as if being in the air on a couch was absolutely normal.

"Oh, of course." Running over to the kitchen counter, M'gann saw her fully charged phone and unplugged it while setting down everything she had lifted in the apartment.

"Ok, I got my phone, wallet, purse, I have everything." Heading over to where her blood sibling was, the Martian girl stood in front of him. "So, be honest. How does this look on me?"

Pausing his game, Garfield looked at M'gann with a critical eye, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as his eyes journeyed from her feet to her head. She wore a pair of black boots with a stylish buckle strap over the top of each foot. They had a slight heel to them, adding around an inch or two to her height. Black skinny jeans covered her legs with a matching studded belt with the end of her loose fitting purple short sleeve shirt draping over it. A deep neckline allowed a black undershirt to be seen underneath. For accessories, she wore two thick bangles on her right wrist and a simple silver necklace with matching earrings. Her hair was a bit longer than the pixie cut she had been wearing and was now more of a choppy fringe cut with the ends lightly sweeping outward. Her ears were now partly covered, allowing her earrings to be seen as her longer bangs swept to the right.

"Overall, I give you a nine point nine five," her brother told her.

"Why, what's wrong with it? Is it too casual? Too dressy?"

"The outfit's fine but your skin is still-"

Before he could finish, the doorbell rang, making M'gann yipe. "I'm not ready!" She flew into her bedroom, leaving Garfield alone in the living room.

"(Sigh) girls." He tossed his controller on the couch cushion and went to answer the door.

The moment the door opened and a flower carrying Conner greeted the youth; he found himself drug by his jacket's sleeve and sat down on the couch. He watched the green boy turn off the TV and pace back and forth with his hands behind his back for a moment before trying to ask what was going on when he was cut off.

"Ok," Garfield began as he moved his hands in front of his face and tapped his fingers together like Mr. Burns. "As the man of the house, and seeing as how you are here to take my sister out on a date, I have a few rules you need to adhere to that you may find…excellent."

"Gar," Conner said as the boy began his pacing again.

"Now, as you escort my sister throughout the evening, I expect you to behave like a gentleman and have her back at a decent hour. This also means you should let her walk on the inside of the sidewalk so she won't get splashed by puddles. No girl likes being splashed by puddles."

"Gar, it hasn't rained," Conner pointed out.

"You should also hold the door open for her."

"I rarely get the chance to as she opens them with her telekinesis nearly all the time."

"You should also make sure to pull her chair out for her."

"Already know that."

"Always, and I mean always, keep your hands at the ten and two position on the steering wheel." Garfield put his hands out to demonstrate the proper way to drive a car.

"Gar, we're taking a motorcycle."

"Oh…then make that the nine and three position."

Scooting forward, Conner leaned his elbows on his thighs. "Gar, this is just a date. We're testing out the waters and taking it slow."

"No, this is your chance to get back together and everyone can see it. Now, before I go get her, I need to give you something." Reaching into a pocket of his shorts, the shape shifter pulled out his closed fist. "You're gonna need protection."

"WHAT?!"

"Tic-Tacs." Grabbing one of Conner's hands, Garfield gave him the small clear container. "Just in case you two have Italian tonight, you'll be protected from garlic breath."

As Garfield walked off, Conner rolled his eyes and shook his head as he let out a huff. He was about to leave the mint candies on the table when he gave them a second look and slipped them in his coat pocket. They were pretty good after all.

"Hi, Conner." Coming out of her room, M'gann looked a little less nervous than she did before.

"Hey," Conner said as he stood and handed her the small batch of violets. "You look great."

"Thanks," she said as she took her gift, "so do you."

The two stared at each other for a bit with Garfield's eyes moving from one to the other. "Well, I guess you two should hit the ol' dusty trail. Have fun, you crazy kids."

Breaking eye contact, Conner nodded towards Garfield and wished him a good night as M'gann double checked the contents of her small purse and placed the flowers on a table beside the door.

"Now, Gar, I might be back late so if you decide to go out to get a burger or something, be back by nine. Uncle J'onn will be here by then to check in on you and since it's a weekend, be in bed by eleven, though I should be back before then. There's money on the kitchen table for pizza or whatever you want to get if you go out and be sure to wear your glamor charm if you have a pizza delivered just in case. Also-"

"Sis, sis, sis," Garfield interrupted, "you're acting like a mom again. Chill and enjoy you're date. I'm just gonna be here watching the mega monster movie marathon featuring Godzilla and relaxing. No big. And one more thing, you should really get a tan."

It was subtle. So subtle that Conner barely caught it, but it happened. Garfield's heart skipped a beat. Looking at the smiling youth, Conner eyed him suspiciously as M'gann changed her skin color from green to its peach coloring. Instead of growing nervous at Conner's facial expression towards him, Garfield simply smiled back as the two left and closed the door behind them.

After locking the door and looking through the peephole, the young teen watched as M'gann and Conner disappeared down the hall. He then turned around with his back to the door and looked at his watch.

"Ten minutes should be enough of a head start," Garfield whispered quietly as he checked the time, "then it's operation: Save-a-Date."

A roar came from the TV, drawing his attention as the King of all Monsters tore through downtown Tokyo. "Cool, Godzilla nineteen eighty five, love this one."


	18. Chapter 18

3.

Happy Harbor

October 02, 19:07 UTC

For the last forty five minutes, Garfield had been crouched down on a rooftop across the street of an Italian restaurant. Even though he wasn't on a mission, he dressed the part, wearing his red and white Martian fabric jumpsuit. Had anyone took notice of him, they wouldn't see a green skinned boy but a brown haired, Caucasian teen dressed in a pair of sneakers, blue jeans, white shirt, and a blue button up over shirt. It was an appearance courtesy of the glamor charm Zatanna made for him, which dangled around his neck.

His plan was to, hopefully, trick J'onn to not check up on him and follow his blood sister and Conner to make sure nothing went wrong on their date. He took care of that by calling M'gann's uncle and telling him he would be turning in early. With part one of his plan taken care of, he moved onto the next part, which was getting around M'gann's telepathy to make sure he wouldn't get caught. This would be slightly easier tonight as her attention would be on what was going on and who was by her side. The third part was, if any emergency popped up, he would do his best to take care of it so the two would not be disturbed. Of course if a major villain he couldn't handle alone were to pop up, he would have no choice but to book a hasty retreat back to the closest Zeta Tube and hurry back to the apartment in Chicago, lest he get himself caught and wait for the call to action if needed. It was a simple plan overall.

Before leaving the apartment in Chicago, Garfield had grabbed a belt similar to the one Tim used, which he had borrowed. It was an older model but had enough room to carry a pair of binoculars, his phone, and whatever extras he may need on his self-appointed mission including, but not limited to, snacks, extra mints he could sneak into Conner's pocket or M'gann's purse just in case they needed them, a few extra dollars from the change jar above the refrigerator back at the apartment, moist naps, and a stain removal pen, the last two were already in the belt to begin with.

"How long does it take to eat?" Garfield whined. "I mean, come on. Go in there, order something, make small talk, eat, leave. How hard is that?"

Turning around, the undercover morpher reached into one of the belt's pouches and took out a candy bar. "Really, what could possibly take this long inside a restaurant? Unless…oh man, what if the food wasn't good? Or what if they had lousy service? Or maybe they had a few too many drinks like the time Wally said when they were at On the Border. And why doesn't anyone clean up all this pigeon poop up here?"

Taking another bite of his snack, Garfield leaned his head back and stared into the sky. If it weren't for the partly cloudy sky, he could have seen the different constellations clearly. Back in Qurac, he would stay up late to name each one as he stared out his bedroom window. Of course, that was at a time when his mother was still alive and couldn't remember the last time when he took a few minutes to look at them.

"Trying my hardest, mom. The team's been teaching me a lot and M'gann's been treating me good. Still wish you were here though. It would be cool to hear what you think when you see me morph." Looking at the remainder of his candy, he tapped a finger on its end. "Can you please do something for me, mom? Can you make sure nothing happens to any of my friends? It was hard when I thought Artemis died and was hard when Wally died too. I don't want to lose anyone else. And if you can, maybe you can help out those two down there get together a little faster cause I'm getting tired of doing everything myself."

Looking around the deserted rooftop, Garfield finished off the remainder of his candy bar then checked to see if his sister and Conner had left the building yet. He could still see the motorcycle they rode on quite clearly then sat back down, pulling out his portable gaming device to help burn time. "Man, pigeon poop really stinks."

As he began to play his game, a hooded presence spied on him from the shadows.

Gotham City

October 02, 19:13 UTC

Star Labs, one of many in the country, was still as busy as ever with scientists entering the building to put in late or overnight shifts. Those who were leaving were anxious to get some rest for the next day while others either couldn't wait to get off work or dreading when it was time to go home and leave their projects for the next day. Security detail checked for IDs with the next step being monitor duty of every employee walking through a body scanner. After that, they would have to swipe their identification cards in an electronic reader followed by a retinal scan. All this was put in place shortly after a string of robberies began a few months ago with no sign, not even a video image, of the crooks being left behind.

Across the city, four individuals wearing black body suits were gathered on the edge of a skyscraper. Each had a fabric membrane stretching from their waists to their wrists with another one reaching from knee to knee. Black ski masks concealed their faces from being recognized as Gloves made sure no prints would be detected.

"Sync watches," one of the four said. "We have four minutes to get to Star labs, twelve minutes to reach the sub-basement labs, four minutes to find the thing, and ten minutes to make our getaway. Let's go."

Taking off in unison, the four fell several stories before spreading out their arms and legs. The membrane between their limbs caught the wind, sending them upwards and on their way towards their destination. The bright lights of Gotham flashed below them as they banked between the tall buildings making up the downtown area. Each stayed in the shadows, keeping close to the darkened buildings with one miscalculation meaning a horrible body shattering impact on the structures.

There were times when the four had to watch out for the occasional window washing platform or an unsuspecting bird flying in their way but besides that, it was a smooth glide to Star Labs where they landed on the roof. Not stopping for a second, each one shed their glide suit's 'wings' and went to their assigned position.

"Be ready to move in three, two-" With a snap of their fingers, one of the four managed to sever a dozen wires leading to the electrical door they gathered around with several small bursts of purple energy. Cameras shut down along with motion and heat sensors.

The moment the door clicked open, the four made their way inside. Running into a stairwell, two of the group fired grapple devices into the ceiling to rappel the twenty some odd floors to the ground. The other two leapt over the railing with one of them disappearing and the other diving through the air headfirst. On ground level, the one who vanished reappeared as the free falling one flipped and landed on their feet perfectly. The other two landed and unhooked their ropes before prying open the elevator door and taking a look down the empty shaft.

Pulling up a small, tablet sized computer, one of the trespassers looked over a floor plan to the building. "Readouts indicate this will take us where we need to go but to save time, we need to stop at the third vent and enter there."

"Are you sure?" another asked. "Remember how wrong you were when we broke into the White House?"

"I'm sure this time. Unlike then, I had more time to plan this one out."

The four man group each took a cable and slid to where the indicated vent was. One of the four activated a spinning saw on their forearm and cut through the covering, allowing them to crawl inside and make their way where they needed to. It didn't take long for them to reach a large brightly lit circular room and drop down from the ceiling. The room was filled with highly sophisticated lab equipment and computers but none of that mattered.

"Over there," one of them pointed out. Heading for a large sealed locker, the four examined it for any possible alarms but found none, only an encrypted numeral keypad.

"I got this." Plugging in a wire, one of the four pressed several buttons on their arm computer and soon unlocked the vault. "Too, too easy."

"Alright, let's get the stuff and go," another said. "We're right on time but the shift change won't last forever."

"A shame really, just means we won't have any fun," the fourth one said.

It didn't take them long to make their way back to the roof and don their glide wings again. With a running start, each one jumped off the roof and flew into the night, leaving those in Star Labs completely in the dark at what just happened.

Happy Harbor

October 02, 19: 59 UTC

"Wipeout! Try again, loser!" the voice on Garfield's game announced as his avatar crashed his rocket powered jet cycle into a brick wall.

"Dang, this is a hard level." Leaving his portable game on the ground, Garfield let out a yawn and grabbed his binoculars to check if Conner and M'gann had left the restaurant. Unfortunately, the spot next to Conner's bike was now being occupied by a black Lamborghini. "Cripes, can't see a thing."

Grabbing his game and putting it away, the youth jogged to the other side of the building in the hopes he could see if the two were still there or not. Coming to the edge, a billboard blocked his view, leaving him with no choice but to jump down to the fire escape some five feet down and look from there. When he finally saw where the bike was parked, he let out a disappointed groan due to the vehicle being gone.

"Oh man, I missed them. Knew I shouldn't have tried that last race." Before he could do anything else, the sound of a can being kicked came through the window he stood in front of, making him jump.

Trying his best to peer into the darkened room, Garfield couldn't see anything that might have caused the noise when he heard the groan of wood being stepped on.

"Um, hello? Is anybody in there?" Since the window was broken, he poked his head inside to have a closer look. "Um, this building's supposed to be empty. It's not safe to be in here."

All he got in response was the sound of wind circulating through the empty apartment from the many broken windows. White sheets covered most of the furniture with the exception of a battered red sofa, coffee table, and TV stand. The rest of the area was too dark to see anything. He was about to leave when he saw one of the sheets in the corner move slightly.

"Hey, is…is there somebody in there? Are you in trouble?"

Again, the sheet moved as if someone were trying to stand still but failed.

"Hey, don't worry, I'm a good guy." Making his way in the room, Garfield got his first good look at what was inside and could see a number of empty food boxes and cans. Empty bottles of water lay scattered on the ground as a bowl of what looked to be freshly made Raman Noodles sat on a hot plate.

"You don't have to hide," he said as he made his way to the standing sheet. "I'm from The Justice League. If you're hurt or, or scared, I can help you. My name's Ga…Beast Boy. You can come out."

Reaching forward, Garfield gently took the sheet in hand and slowly pulled it off. He was expecting to find someone hiding underneath but only found a tall floor lamp. "Crap. My first time trying to calm someone down and it's not even a person."

As he went to put the cover back on the lamp and muttering about how he might have scared whoever off by landing on the fire escape, part of the shadows behind him began to move. A large swirl formed in the middle of the wall and grew larger until something made its way out of the darkness. It was like the shadow itself was giving birth to another entity as a purple hooded head emerged from the swirling mass. Stepping onto the wooden floor, the form stood with a purple cloak wrapped around themselves with its pointed hood hanging low over their face.

"You really shouldn't be here," the form said in a raspy voice.

Jumping at the sudden break in silence, Garfield quickly turned around with wide eyes from having been snuck up on. "Who…who are you?"

"Get out," the form said again. "Or I'll make you get out."

"Um, okay, but I just-"

"Nobody enters my room. Get out now, or suffer the consequences."

"O…okay. I'm going. No harm, no foul." As Garfield carefully made his way toward the nearest window, a red light illuminated the darkness and began blinking. "I said I'm leaving, so whatever that is please turn it off."

Stepping forward, the form looked at the device as the blinking light sped up.

"That's not mine."

"Then whose…oh crap."

Those passing by on the street didn't hear anything, but saw it happen. There was no warning of any kind as a silent blast caused the inside of the building to collapse on itself as the building came crashing down without making a single sound. People gawked at the sight and couldn't believe no sound could be heard save for their panicking mutters and attempts to get help.

**AN: 100 reviews. My first story to have 100 reviews. THANK YOU ALL!**


	19. Chapter 19

4.

Happy Harbor

October 02, 20:03 UTC

"You sure about this?" Driving his motorcycle over a dirt road, Conner carefully maneuvered the vehicle through low hanging limbs, overgrown brush, and over humps or potholes as he and M'gann journeyed through the woods around what used to be Mount Justice.

"Yeah, I'm sure," M'gann said as she moved a limb out of the way with her telekinesis. "I never got to see the damage up close since it was destroyed, not even when we came back from the North Pole."

Reaching the edge of the forest, the two kept to the tree line instead of risking the bike to the sandy beach. Large slabs of rock provided a somewhat smooth path for them as they came to a cliff overlooking a deep crater where their one-time home used to be. Despite the sun having set some time ago, they were able to see the destruction clearly under the light of the full moon. Nearly nothing remained of the base with the exception of bent steel girders or semi standing walls, which somehow survived the blast. Evidence of people were all around with spray painted signs adorning anything that could be used as a canvas and various trash items lying around. There was even a fire pit with logs situated around it to provide a place to sit. Fortunately for the two black ops team members, it was deserted at this time of night.

"I still can't believe it's all gone," M'gann said. "All the years we had here."

"I know," Conner agreed. "The first place I could actually call a home."

"Second one for me."

"Come on, I want to show you something." Grabbing a flashlight from a saddlebag and dismounting from the Harley, Conner turned to help M'gann off only to see her float into the air and land beside him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You were going to-"

"Um, no. That's, that's okay." Motioning for her to follow, he led her into the crater where he found the old trophy room months ago. "I found this after you were captured by Artemis. It's Wally's old trophy room and part of Garfield's also."

Moving a large slab of concrete with a skull spray painted on it, the Kryptonian uncovered the rooms he told her about and ushered for her to have a look as he shined the light around the cave-like room. She could see what was left of the 'souvenirs' Wally, and later Garfield, had collected from their missions. She also saw what was left of her blood brother's room and the various items scattered across the floor.

"Is this where you got him that picture?" she asked as she continued looking.

"Yeah. Wolf must have climbed in there and brought it out. I couldn't tell what else was in there though."

Extending her arm, M'gann had a few objects float over to her including a few broken models, game controller, a shoe, and a small leather bound book. Grabbing the tome when it came close, she turned her back to the room and opened its burnt cover as Conner shined the light on it. It was a collection of pictures and passages from the time they met the eight year old Garfield in Qurac.

"Oh, I'm so glad this survived." Flipping through the pages, the Martian girl ran across pictures of the boy and his mom at their farm, working on things around the house, when the team, minus Kaldur and Artemis, were first there, and a few shots of when the entire team was present. There were even a few pictures of the two blood siblings and one where Conner was covered in calamine lotion from when he brought her the poisonous flowers.

"I'll, never forget that day," she laughed as Conner rolled his eyes. "You were a grumpy, itchy, cotton candy look-a-like."

After looking through the book of memories, Conner grew slightly distant. "Conner? What's wrong?"

"I uh, I had another reason for asking you out." Taking a few steps from the uncovered hole, he thumped his fingers along the body of the flashlight. "Dick told me what Artemis, Mal, and the others found when they went to Luther's office. I've been thinking long and hard about what I should do and I wanted to know what you think since you…know me the best out of the old team."

Holding the book to her side, M'gann gave him her full attention. "What did they find?"

Happy Harbor Sewers

October 02, 20:11 UTC

Below the streets of Happy Harbor some miles from a destroyed building, two individuals, one sitting and the other laying on their back, were blocked off from the nearest way to the surface. Water from broken pipes dripped from the stacked rubble crowding the way back to the building. Rats skittered along the side of the draining city water flowing down a long, wide tunnel as dark as a moonless night. In fact, the entire area would be pitch black if it weren't for several glow sticks from Garfield's belt floating around the area, casting a green light on the two.

Lying on several pieces of concrete above the water, Garfield slowly came too. Letting out a groan, he rubbed his forehead as he sat up. Upon seeing his surroundings, his eyes grew wide as he backed up against the wall. "Wha…what happened? Where am I?"

Stepping forward, the hooded figure from before reached out and took one of the glow sticks from the air to hold it near his face. "You trespassed into my home and a bomb went off, sending both of us into the sewer. I managed to save you from being killed and have been waiting for the last several minutes for you to wake up."

"Um…thanks." He looked closer at the hooded person who took a step back from the light as the glow stick floated once more. "Who are you?"

"That's not important. What is, is the fact we are stuck here and the only way out leads through the sewage junction."

"How do you know that?"

"Pays to be prepared."

After giving him one of the lights, the figure turned and headed down the tunnel with the remaining glow sticks following it. As they left, Garfield reached down to search through his borrowed utility belt to grab his cell phone but found it missing.

"Hey," the teen shouted, "where's my belt? I had it on me!"

"Yeah, I went through it," the figure said without stopping.

Running up beside his somewhat of a comrade, Garfield cut in front of them. "Stop. First of all, I need my belt back. Second, I need to know who you are. And third, I need to know how you're doing that thing you're doing by making the glow sticks float."

Raising an arm, the cloaked figure gave him his belt back. A few of the pouches were crushed with others empty, leaving only two intact. "If you're looking for a way to contact anyone, it would be pointless. There was no cell phone in any of the pouches. Of the two remaining, one has three glow sticks left and the other has a few candy bars with a game…thing with them."

"Okay, that's an invasion of privacy. But I still need to know who you are and how you're doing…that."

"And why should I tell you?"

"Um, well, because, I…I'm with the League. I'm Beast Boy and I'm trained for these kind of situations."

"Right, and the fact you're a kid doesn't matter since the League is apparently lowering their age requirements."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Garfield shot the figure his best Batglare. When that failed he tried his best Nightwing glare, then his best Superboy glare, then finally his 'cut me some slack I don't really have a glare' glare.

"Are you glaring or haveing a seizure?" the figure asked.

"Just tell me who you are," Garfield said as he slung his belt over a shoulder. "I need to know if I can trust you or not."

Letting out a sigh, the figure had the glow sticks surround them to provide the maximum amount of light possible. "Fine."

Separating their cloak, the figure revealed a dainty body in a pair of gothic, black, calf high boots with thick heels. They were strapped over a pair of Navy blue low-riders with a golden metal belt hanging across her hips with what looked like red jewels embedded in golden disks attached to it. A high-hip cut gray cotton singlet covered her torso with dark purple arm covers stretching from the top of her biceps and covering her middle fingers, leaving her other digits free. Another jewel-set disk held her cloak in place as she took off her hood, revealing a young teenage face with short, chopped messy purple hair.

"My name's Raven," she said flatly. "Happy now?"

Garfield's jaw dropped the moment he saw her face and her large purple eyes staring at him. "You're…you're as old as I am." It took him a moment to come up with something to say.

"So? Just because I'm young, doesn't mean I'm lacking in power." She narrowed her eyes at the dumbstruck boy. "And you really need to drop it."

"Drop…drop what?"

"The puppy love thing."

Snapping back, Garfield felt his face heat up as he spoke fast enough to impress Bart. "Uh, what do you mean? I'm not, uh, I was just trying to, uh…get, get a good look at you cause it's so dark."

"I'm an empath. I can tell what you're feeling, so drop it."

As Raven took the lead, Garfield found himself watching her from behind for a moment before snapping himself out of his thoughts and ran to catch up with her. "I, uh, I can turn into different animals!"

"Horary for you."

"No, really, I can. Any animal I've come across or concentrate on, I can turn into them."

"Fine. Become a Pegasus Pony."

Garfield blinked at her response. "A…a Pegasus Pony? Why?"

"Because I hate them and it'll give me an excuse to punch you in the face."

"No ponies, noted." The two walked in silence for a bit, letting the soft green glow of the lights lead the way around them as they journeyed to the sewage junction. Every once in a while, Garfield would try to reach M'gann by thinking as loud as he could, hoping she would pick up on his thoughts but was met with disappointment and figured he was just out of her psychic range.

It wasn't long when Garfield began walking beside her and taking quick glances out of the corner of his eye. When she would catch him looking, he would fix his gaze ahead of him and act like he wasn't doing anything. Each time she caught him, she would become more and more annoyed at what he was doing and finally let out a forceful sigh.

"What do you want, Animal Boy?" she irritably asked.

"What are your powers? And the name's Beast Boy by the way."

Rolling her eyes, Raven let out another agitated sigh as she answered him in a flat voice. "I use magicks. It's why the glow sticks float around us."

"Magicks like what?"

"Trust me, you do not want to find out. If you do, pray you are not on the receiving end of my rage." She took some satisfaction in seeing his eyes widen by the way she answered him and hoped it would put a stop to his questioning.

"So how come you're alone?" Garfield asked as if they were the best of friends.

With the corner of her mouth twitching, along with one of her eyes, Raven forced herself to calm down. It was no use losing her temper over someone as curious as the kid beside her. "I prefer to be alone. It's quiet. I like quiet."

"Come on, that can't be the only reason. Don't you have parents? Brother and or sisters?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"Making small talk. It's either that, or think about what we're walking through."

Stopping in her tracks, Raven looked down at the brownish water and made a disgusted expression. She then looked up and sighed as the top of the tunnel was too low to levitate without bumping her head along its slimy surface. She wished she had full control over her abilities and could teleport out of there but she hadn't gotten past her ability to conceal herself in the shadows. "Fine, you win. I don't have a family. Not one I'm proud of anyways."

"Why not?"

"Let's just say, family isn't always what it's cracked up to be."

Taking that as a sign to not press the subject with her, Garfield took over. "I lived in Quarac with my mom before coming here. She had an animal sanctuary and I would help her out all the time."

"So what happened? You run away?"

"She was killed."

The change in Garfield's voice reflected how he felt and in turn, was felt by Raven. She could feel the love he had for his mother and the heartbreak that occurred upon her death. There was also a touch of rage at the one responsible for it all, the want to bring them to justice, and the feeling of comfort and pride at what he has done to honor her.

"Sorry," Raven said, and genuinely meant it.

"It's fine. Anyways, after that, I was brought here by my blood sister."

"Blood sister?"

"Yeah. She gave me a blood transfusion and I got her shape shifting powers from it. Her and her boyfriend brought me to Happy Harbor to learn about my powers and be a part of their team."

This time, Raven could feel a family type of love when he thought of his 'blood' sister and her boyfriend. Her empathic powers picked up on a need to protect them as well as to prove himself to them for all they've done.

"Are you sure you only see her as a sister?" Raven asked. "Or is she a surrogate?"

"Oh, no," Garfield replied, "she's Martian."

Ignoring the teen's ignorance of the word 'surrogate', Raven came to a halt, making Garfield do the same. "Wait, she's a Martian?"

"Yeah. But I can't get ahold of her mentally. I think she's out of range."

"Beast Boy, I can help you reach her."

"How? Are you a telepath?"

"Not a strong one, but I can help increase the area she can feel your mind as long as she's in the city. Just hold my hands and concentrate on reaching out to her."

"You sure this will-"

A loud 'BOOM' came from a few yards behind them, causing pieces of the tunnel to fall to the floor. The sewage water shook and splashed lightly around the two with bits of concrete falling on them. Moss and algae dropped in clumps into the water as another, more powerful thud pushed a large amount of brick inward with a third thud creating a hole in the tunnel wall.

Taking a guarded stance, Garfield and Raven took several steps back as they waited for whatever caused the destruction to show itself. Never looking away from the hole, they saw a large metal leg stomp down into the water with a metallic hand gripping onto the edge of the busted brick. What followed was a large armored covered person with a glowing red eye. Silver and white plates covered them from head to toe with bits of see through panels with a soft neon red light showing various circuitries. The machine must have been over seven feet tall since it had to bend down just to fit in the tunnel.

"Who called for a robot?!" Garfield yelled when the machine turned to them and they saw part of a dark skinned face, an eye, and a mouth. "Err, make that a cyborg."

Stepping fully into the tunnel, a section of the half man/half robot's shoulders slid upwards slightly and flipped over to cast a strong, bright light at the two, forcing them to cover their eyes from the sheer brightness. His right hand then began to change with his fingers bending backwards and sliding into several compartments around his palm as it extended and formed a cannon.

"Targets acquired," the cyborg said as he charged up his arm cannon. "Ready for termination and capture."

**AN: First the DVD of the second half of YJ is announced for July 16****th**** (16, get it?) and now a soundtrack will be released as well. In the words of Eric Cartman, "Sweet." And um, yeah…Raven and Cyborg have now entered the fray.**


	20. Chapter 20

5.

Happy Harbor Sewers.

October 02, 20:28 UTC

Loud, concentrated explosions filled the sewer tunnel Garfield and Raven were in. Blue energy impacted on the concrete, shattering the brick and mortar like it were nothing as the cyborg stomped after the two teens. Even though the tunnel was a tight squeeze for him, the machine was still fast as he kept up with them. With their pursuer not letting them out of his sights, Garfield morphed into a cheetah as raven flew just ahead of him to lead the green shifter to the junction.

"If you can understand me, there will be three tunnels coming up. All lead to the junction so pick one and stay on the main path." Banking to the left quickly, Raven managed to avoid taking a direct hit from the cyborg's arm cannon. A bright blue light filled the tunnel from the energy striking the wall.

Letting out a growl, the green cheetah took the tunnel on the left as Raven continued down the middle. Coming to where the two split up, the cyborg came to a stop and popped open a compartment where his belt would be if he had one. He took out a black, crescent shaped device about the size of his hand, and pressed a red button on top. It flipped open, taking the shape of a sharpened edge saucer as he flung it down the tunnel Raven chose. He then formed his arm cannon again and resumed his chase after Garfield.

Thinking he had lost the robotic pursuer, Garfield chanced a look back before returning to his humanoid shape, although he still looked like a normal teen to everyone else. He needed to catch his breath as running through calf-high water was tiring even in animal form. Cracking one of his last remaining glow sticks, he searched through the pouches of his belt for anything of use but found nothing.

"Yeah, if I were Robin I would have something to fight a cyborg with a B.F.G." Garfield muttered. "Since when did the bad guys get a weapon from DOOM?"

Slinging the belt over a shoulder, the shape shifter leaned against a wall as his breathing calmed. "_M'gann, please hear me!_" he thought. "_I need your help! I don't know how to fight a terminator!_"

Soft thuds sounded around the tunnel, drawing Garfield's attention down the way he came. Twin dots of white bounced quickly towards him, slowly growing larger until a light shone on him. Plates illuminated as a red light came into view with the water rippling from the source of the pursuing cyborg.

"Oh man, here we go again." Tossing the belt in the air, Garfield morphed into a pelican and caught the leather utility carrier in his mouth as he took off flying down the tunnel.

Over in the second passageway, Raven was flying as fast as she could. Her purple cloak had her resembling a streamlined bird with the way it fluttered about. With the shape of her hood ending in a point, she did indeed resemble the bird she was named after. Her eyes flashed white, giving her the ability to see in the dark since the glowsticks faded out a few minutes ago. Being down this way before, she knew exactly how far she was from the junction and a way out of the sewers. If the half man-half robot followed her, she would have time and room enough to use her powers once there. As it was, the tunnel wasn't large enough to tap into her abilities and defend herself, annoying her to no end as she hated running from a confrontation. It just wasn't in her nature to do so.

Mentally keeping track of the distance yet to cover, the hooded Goth girl's attention was drawn to a swirling, high pitched whirl. Chancing a glance behind her, she saw a rotating disk-like object rapidly make its way to her. Turning over but still continuing on her course, she brought a hand up and formed an aura of black energy as the object sped up. She reached out and summoned the brick to intercept the disc. Several of the clay blocks shot from the walls, each surrounded by a black aura, as they attempted to strike down the pursuing object. None hit it as the thing maneuvered around them like a miniature jet. It then separated in two with each piece moving faster as they made a beeline for her and forcing her to turn back around to concentrate on out flying it.

"Just fifty more yards till the junction," she muttered. "Then I'll show not to mess with me."

It was then when the two devices let out a whining beep as a red light came to life on them. They began to rotate faster as well as gain speed.

"Great, as if they weren't fast enough."

Several feet to her left, through some ten feet of brick and mortar, Garfield banked left and right to avoid being hit by the cyborg's energy blasts. Blue energy destroyed the tunnel walls, sending debris around the fast flying green pelican. Keeping as far ahead of his pursuer as he could, it wasn't long until he saw a door at the end of the tunnel. Timing it where he was ten feet away, the green bird morphed into a rhino and charged ahead, busting the heavy steel door open as he came to a stop on a grated catwalk as he morphed back.

Turning on his heels, the teen slammed the door shut and went to lock it by turning the locking wheel on his side. Unfortunately, he broke it then he rammed the barricade to get in. Looking around for a way out, he saw a service elevator on the other side of the large, circular junction room some sixty yards away with the catwalk leading over to it. The chamber descended around three stories below him with a number of unsealed tunnels for the water to flow through. At least seventy feet above him was the only exit he could see as the elevator's cables lead up to the street.

A second later, an explosion erupted from another door with Raven shooting out from it like a missile. She came to a stop in the middle of the room and spotted Garfield running for a control panel beside the elevator.

"Is he behind you?" Raven called out.

"Yeah," Garfield yelled over the sound of the rushing water below. "I'm gonna open the door to the surface and-"

The door Garfield left behind ripped open, sailing across the room and falling into the water below as the cyborg emerged from the opening. His red eye scanned the room, marking both Raven and Garfield. He then saw the elevator moving upwards before his internal systems informed him about the door opening above it once it drew closer to the surface. He fired a blast at the cables, destroying the drive system for the elevator before facing the two teenagers.

"Targets Beast Boy and Rachel Roth acquired," the cyborg said in monotone. "Awaiting additional orders." Less than a second later, his eye flashed red. "Acknowledged."

Raising his left hand, several compartments of the cyborg's forearm slid open to allow him to grab a few objects similar to the one in the apartment building the teens were in earlier. He activated a red light on each one and tossed them around the catwalks where they exploded, shattering the metal around them without a sound.

"Did you see that?!" Garfield yelled. "He can blow stuff up without making a sound! And your name's Rachel?"

"Unless you want to die the same way," Raven spoke, surprisingly evenly and with an annoyed look on her face. "I suggest you stop using my real name, stop being so excitable, and start coming up with a way to fight this thing."

Raising her hands above her head, Raven summoned several of the fallen pieces of catwalk and flung them at their attacker. The man-machine leapt out of the way as boosters in his boots ignited to give him a little extra push to the wall beside him where he gripped onto an indented edge. His right arm turned into its cannon form as he fired a blast at the airborne young woman, forcing her to dodge the stream of blue energy. He then leapt over to the other remaining catwalk and took a shot at Garfield who dropped his belt and changed into a bat.

"Rachel!" Garfield yelled as he landed on a ledge and dove around the energy blast.

"It's Raven!" the young girl retorted as she surrounded the structure the cyborg was on with black energy and forced it to collapse.

Releasing a grunt, the cyborg leapt off the black encased scaffold and fired a cable into the ceiling. As he swung across, he took aim at the hooded female and prepared to fire when a green eagle swept down on him. Razor sharp talons sliced at the flesh side of his face, cutting him and forcing the robotic human to detach the cable and crash onto the first section of catwalk.

"Hey, bird boy, wanna try and contact that sister of yours? That's not gonna keep him down for long."

Flying over and landing on a section of catwalk near Raven, Garfield shifted to his normal self and waited as the Goth came over to him. "How do we do this?"

"Just hold my hands and concentrate on her. I can use my powers to amplify the signal," Raven described as she wrapped the cyborg up with a large section of catwalk.

Garfield closed his eyes and focused on reaching out to M'gann as Raven held his hands and shut her eyes as well while muttering, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

Happy Harbor - Mount Justice

October 02, 20:39 UTC

"Wow." That was all M'gann could say once Conner told her everything that was found in the documents Artemis and the others of her team brought back months ago.

"Yeah. Too bad Barbra couldn't decipher them until recently." With his head down, Conner slowly made his way back to where the bike was parked with M'gann following him.

"So what are you going to do?"

Shaking his head, he released a sigh. "I don't know. It's not like I haven't been thinking this over. Luther said I would need the Cadmus pod to gain them…to mature."

"And do you believe him?" Stopping a few feet from the Harley, M'gann watched as Conner climbed back on the machine. "I mean, look who Luther is. He always has a plan with several backup plans to several more backup plans. He could be lying-"

"But he's not," Conner said sternly. "I age one month per year on the inside. I've grown but won't ever look…I'll never look different. I'll always look like this with the same powers with the only difference is being stronger and smarter. The last five years, I managed to pass it off as good genes. Wendy noticed it, Marvin's caught on, but they don't know the truth…just how long can I be out in public without changing?"

Walking up to stand beside him, M'gann placed a hand on his shoulder. "A lot of people would kill to look young their whole lives, Conner. But I can understand not liking your situation. I can relate. I wasn't allowed to change the way I looked like on Mars when out in public so everyone knew I was a white Martian, other than taking on a more humanoid appearance."

Placing a hand on hers, Conner turned to face her. "But you see, here you can look however you want, any age you want. I can't. It may not seem like a big thing, but I guess that's the reason I don't shave too much. It kinda makes me look older."

"Well, like you said at one time, it doesn't matter to me what you look like." Seeing him give that almost invisible smile of his made her heart flutter like it always did. "Now, about the other half of your predicament." Placing the book of pictures she retrieved from the hole to Garfield's old room on the back of his bike, she slightly floated into the air and sat in front of him on the bike's gas tank.

She took his hands in hers and stared into his eyes. "I want you to listen very carefully to me. If you decide to find a way, other than going back to Luther for your powers, learn from my mistake and don't let it go to your head. It took me actually seeing what I was doing to others when I mind-ripped them after I wouldn't listen to you. I felt…well…ashamed and ugly when I saw Kaldur's mind and I can't believe I actually saw it as a good thing to use on anyone, regardless of the consequences. I…I don't want that to happen to you. Don't let whatever this TTK is get the best of you, please, learn from what happened to me. I don't want to see you go through what I did."

Looking down at his tan, calloused hands holding her smaller, smooth green ones, Conner ran his thumbs over her knuckles. He let her words resonate in his mind as he reflected on how she behaved when she first learned about ripping apart someone's mind, leaving them in a catatonic state, and not telling anyone about it until the team was in dire straits and used it as a last resort. She then began to rip out what information they needed without a second thought as to the consequences. Admittingly, they were at war and needed to save lives with her seeing only one half of the equation. He himself was able to see both sides and even though they were the enemy and wouldn't have any qualms to do that to them, each one was a living being and through his time with the team, he learned how precious life was. His bleeding heart was something he attributed to Clark who only saw the world as black and white. Conner on the other hand knew he was a shade of gray but knew what was necessary and what wasn't when it came down to it.

Looking back up into her eyes, he could feel his heart speed up slightly, as if it hadn't already increased being this close to her. The way the moonlight cascaded across her freckled face made her more beautiful to him and made her hazel eyes glisten even more. It was time for him to make his decision Jonathon Kent was telling him about on if the bridge of trust was fully repaired between them or not, and it actually scared him. He had already forgiven her for attempting to mess with his mind and now was the time for him to make up his mind to fully trust her again or not, to see if he truly could give her a second chance.

Inhaling deeply, the demi-Kryptonian raised a hand to the side of her face and gently stroked her cheek. He could hear her heart speed up as his enhanced hearing picked up on it and saw her blush, just like she used to when they were originally together. Moving his hand to the back of her neck, he drew her in as he moved forward. Both tilted their heads to the side as they closed the gap between them and closed their eyes. As the tips of their lips were just about to touch, a strong buzzing ripped through their minds, forcing them to back off and grab their heads in pain.

"Agh!" Conner grunted between clenched teeth. "What is this?"

"I…gah…I don't-" Before M'gann could answer, Garfield's voice echoed through their heads.

"_M'gann! Conner! Help me! I'm at the sewer junction in Happy Harbor's sewers and there's a killer robot attacking u-_"

"Gar!" M'gann yelled as the feeling subsided.

"Go, I'll meet you there." Conner started up his bike and got it ready to take off.

"There's three junctions." Phasing through Conner, and sending a chill though his body as she did so, M'gann wound up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Head to each one, I'll scan for Gar's mind."

"It'll take us a few minutes to go back through the forest."

"Hang on." With her eyes glowing, M'gann lifted the bike and levitated it to there the street began as Conner took over from there and drove as fast as he could with the Martian girl keeping the other cars safely at bay.

Happy Harbor – Sewer Junction

October 02, 20:48

"Crap!" Garfield yelled as was caught in an explosion form the machine's energy cannon.

A large chunk of concrete and catwalk crumbled to the rushing water below, talking the teen boy with it. He had no choice but to turn into an otter and dive into the water. After a few moments, the green animal's head appeared above water with its claws holding on tight to the side of a tunnel as he looked above him at the hooded girl who was forced to go on the defensive.

Dodging an incoming energy blast, Raven lifted the control panel for the elevator with her black energy and flung it at the cyborg. Another blast was fired, completely destroying the incoming panel with another one firing at Raven. Moving just in time, the hooded girl summoned several pieces of broken catwalk railing and launched them like javelins. Several of the iron projectiles struck the armored skin of the man machine with two skewering his arm cannon. A small explosion forced the cyborg back a few steps. Regaining his balance, he raised his left hand as a small barrage of missiles popped up from his forearm and fired them in retaliation as he looked over his destroyed arm.

With no time to move, Raven shielded herself with both hands as a black energy shield spread out in front of her. The explosions from the mini missiles knocked her backwards with the last of the missiles shattering her shield. She crashed into the concrete wall behind her and fell to the catwalk in a daze.

Making his way over to the fallen girl, the machine unsheathed a cable from the underside of his left arm as the small missile launcher retracted back into its hidden compartment. His red eye locked on the stirring girl with the words 'CAPTURE' appearing above her. Raising his arm ahead of him, the machine advanced on Raven with the full intent of ensnaring her when a roar erupted from his side.

The moment he turned his head, a green lion leapt at him and clamped its teeth down on his arm. It jerked its head violently from side to side, tearing off the appendage then taking a stance in front of Raven who was sitting up and rubbing the back of her head. Letting out another roar, the green lion leapt at the cyborg and morphed into a squid, attaching himself to the machine man's head with his tentacles and using his sharp beak to chip away at the facial armor.

With his right arm damaged and spewing oil and his left arm completely missing, the cyborg struggled to get the cephalopod off his face as he staggered around the catwalk. The beak continued to impact the metal portion of his head and succeeded in finding his robotic eye. A strong hit shattered the optical sensor with the beak pulling out the internal components.

"Beast Boy, down!" Raven yelled.

Responding to her order, Garfield morphed into squirrel and leapt clear of the damaged cyborg as Raven crossed her arms and tucked her legs against her chest as she floated into the air.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" A black energy surrounded the limbs of their attacker at Raven's words then ripped them off as she motioned for them to do so.

Letting out a yell of pain and a mechanical squeal, the cyborg's torso fell to the floor of the catwalk with its head jerking around in what appeared to be agony. Landing in front of what was left of the machine, Raven surrounded herself in her cloak but left her hood off. Garfield landed beside her in his squirrel form before morphing into his usual self.

"Um…good job," he said while grinning and rubbing the back of his head.

"Thanks." Looking the teen boy over, Raven rolled her eyes. "Seriously, drop the puppy dog feelings. Or I will destroy you."

"Oh, uh, right." After flashing her a smile, Garfield looked over the defeated cyborg. "Hey, are you in pain?"

A loud electrical pop sounded from the man machine's chest, causing his red lights to flicker and dim and voice to stutter incomprehensibly. A moment later, they turned on but were blue this time. "Whe…where…am I? Wha…what's hap, hap, happened to-to, to me, me, me?"

The human eye on the side of his dark skinned face widened when he saw he was missing his arms. "What…what did you do to me?"

"Calm down!" Garfield ordered.

"Who are you? Why did you do this to me?!"

"You're the one who chased and almost killed us," Raven informed him.

"But…but I-" Cutting off the cyborg, a bright light appeared above him, causing him to panic even more as Garfield pushed Raven out of the way. "No, not again! Don't let them take me agai-" A moment later, he was gone and so was the light.

"What was that?" Raven asked. She felt Garfield's arm holding her back and removed it from her stomach with a sneer. "I don't do touching."

"Oh, sorry." He flashed her a nervous grin. "That was a Boom Tube. My sis and the others have said they've been appearing after beating the bad guys lately. Wherever they're coming from, it's obvious their being sent back."

"Against their will I presume."

"That's a new one on me. They never said anything about the bad guys not wanting to go back. Something's wrong here." Looking around the area, Garfield found a piece of the cyborg's arm. "Cool, souvenir."

Picking up the left over limb, Garfield looked it over carefully then noticed raven looking at him from the corner of his eye.

"Are you always like that?" she asked.

"Like what?"

"Like that. Annoying?"

"I'm not annoying."

"Says the kid with green furry skin and elf ears."

Struck with her words, Garfield's eyes widened as he stared at her dumbfounded. "How…how did…how can…"

"Relax," Raven told him. "I know a glamour charm when I see one and cheap parlor tricks won't work on me, although it is pretty good." She gave him a quick look over before donning her hood. "You should never hide what you are. You've got…interesting ears."

Without warning, the wide metal doors above the elevator street entrance were smashed open with Conner plummeting down to what was left of the catwalks as M'gann flew in behind him. The two young teens watched as Conner landed like a seventy foot fall was nothing and M'gann's skin turned green.

"Garfield," Conner said the moment he landed.

"Your name's Garfield? Like the cat?" Raven asked flatly as the green teen winced inwardly.

"What's wrong?" M'gann asked. "And who's this?"

"I'll uh, explain later." Rubbing the back of his neck, Garfield looked over at Raven. "These are the two I told you about, M'gann, my blood sister, and her boyfriend, Conner. Um, this here is, Rachel Roth."

Staring back at the teen, Raven's eyes flashed red. "Don't make me destroy you."

"Uh but, she likes to be called Raven. Just Raven. Only Raven."

"Why are you down here?" Conner demanded as he looked both teens over.

"I think this is my cue to go." Taking to the air, Raven flew over to the open doors when Garfield called out for her.

"Hey, Raven, wait. Is there any chance you would want to join the team I'm on? You won't have to be alone and I'll be there with my sis and Conner!"

Turning back to face him, Raven looked the three over. "I'm not really the team type. But I'll keep it in mind, after I find a new home."

"We've got room at our base. It's in space!" By then she was gone, flying away into the night sky.

Chicago

October 02, 21:37

"So you decided to tag along on our date and spy on us?" Standing before the couch in M'gann's apartment where Garfield sat without his glamour charm on, M'gann had her arms crossed as she stood beside Conner who had his hands on his hips.

Stepping forward, Conner took over. "Only to get into trouble and attacked by a…a…a-"

"Cyborg," M'gann helped him say.

"A cyborg. Then you go off with someone you don't know and put them in danger."

"Not to mention getting caught in an exploding building while you're at it and almost dying twice."

"More than twice," Connor corrected her. He then ran his hands through his hair and let out a huff. "Garfield, do you even understand what you did? What could have happened to you and all the trouble you caused?"

"Tomorrow morning, I'm going to wake you up bright and early to be debriefed at Watchtower, then afterwards, the three of us are going to have a serious talk about what you did. Well? What have you got to say for yourself?" M'gann asked. "And it better not be 'I don't know.'"

Sitting in the middle of the couch, Garfield simply stared ahead of him with a lidded expression and a crooked grin. He ignored the fact the two were acting like parents as his mind was on other things at the moment. "She likes my ears."

M'gann and Conner each raised an eyebrow and looked at each other with no idea what the boy was talking about.

**AN: Due to my laptop dying (by this, I mean dead, deader than a goldfish won at the carnival after a few days dead) some of my chaps were "frazzled". I saved what I could but some have to be rewritten so the next parts may not be posted on Sundays and Thursdays like they have been. I'll try hard to stick to my schedule as best as I can until I have it all fixed though, so this is just a heads up in case that doesn't happen. At least the next one will be posted on Sunday, I guarantee at least that much.**

**Also if anyone is playing The Simpsons: Tapped Out, my Origin ID is MikeLara_16 if ya'll want to friend me for doughnuts and money in the game. It's addictive.**


	21. Part 5: Time Out - Chapter 21

5. Time Out

1.

Watchtower

October 05, 09:06 UTC

"This technology is fascinating," Red Tornado commented as he went over the cyborg's arm Garfield had retrieved. "Apocalyptic and Earth systems working together to create an entirely new operating program using the human body as its base structure, it is both incredible and as you humans would put it, disturbing."

With his mechanical eyes pressed to the lenses of a high powered microscope, the robotic humanoid moved two control sticks to control tiny robotic arms inside a clear glass case several feet in front of him. The laboratory he was in was large, one of the largest rooms in Watchtower with only the most advanced equipment Wayne Enterprises had available. The clear glass case the robotic arm rested in was only part of an observation room designed to withstand an explosion of several hundred pounds of C4, and in case it should require it, it also had a security feature to jettison its contents into space and into the sun.

Several sparks popped up as the tiny arms touched the circuitry of the arm, causing its fingers to twitch in response. The digits flexed several times before folding back and fitting into several sockets as the palm of the limb extended. It then began to transform into its cannon mode but failed halfway through it as several parts and a finger detached from it. The arm then went lifeless after twitching a few times with the red lights on it fading out.

"What happened?" Ollie asked. He was still wearing his civilian clothes since it was still early, for him. "I thought the dang thing might explode with the way it was moving.

"Which would explain why you're on the other side of the room, right?" Barry asked as he stood several feet away himself with his mask off.

"Says the guy who just so happened to take quite a few steps back himself."

"Better safe than sorry."

"It appears I may have gotten too close to its electrical nerves," Red Tornado explained. "However, there does appear to be an organic matter underneath the mechanical components."

Moving a small amount of wires to the side, Red Tornado uncovered a white structure three inches in length with a great deal of the wires plugged into it. It was smooth and looked to be slightly moist or polished in appearance.

"Red," Bart said as he watched what Red Tornado saw on an overhead TV monitor. "That looks like a piece of bone."

"Precisely. It seems as if the technology is connected to the body to allow for instantaneous feedback."

"But why would they only use a fragment of the, I'm guessing, radius bone like that?" Barry asked.

"Or how about, why would they want the arm to detach like it did?" Virgil asked. "That's just weird."

"One possibility would be for repairs," Red Tornado offered. "Or it could offer a port for the attachment of other weapons."

"Like Roy's arm." Ollie stated. "He could probably attach a chainsaw to his arm if he wanted. Just hope he doesn't figure that out for himself."

"Exactly. Roy, or Arsenal's amputated arm was made to allow for the attachment of his new weponized one. The same could be said for the cyborg Garfield acquired this from."

Looking around, Ollie searched the lab for the shape shifter but couldn't find him. "Where is he anyway? He was right here."

"He left a few minutes ago." Virgil told him. "He still had early training to get through with Conner."

"That's still going on? How come I didn't notice?"

"Because you were texting BC, GA," Bart told him.

"Oh, yeah."

"And he's in the dog house with Conner and M'gann." Looking at Bart, Virgil stifled a grin slightly. "Seems he followed the two on their date the other night and they found out about it, caught him in the act."

"Ouch," the older archer said. "So how bad is it?"

Watchtower – Training room

October 05, 09:17 UTC

"Try it again," Conner said as he looked down at Garfield who was breathing heavily. Around them, holograms of Gotham City faded from view as with holograms of armed thugs. The teen had failed yet again to maintain stealth and remain in the shadows, keeping him from fighting the thugs in the first place so he may shut off the program himself.

"Oh…co…come on…on," Garfield groaned as he caught his breath. "How…how can any…anyone beat thi…this? It's on…Bat…Batman's le…level."

"It's level one, Gar. He only has three."

"But no one's beaten the first one except him!"

"Then maybe you'll be the first. Get up, drink your water, and start over again in five."

Watching his sister's boyfriend head back to the control booth, Garfield rolled over to his stomach and slowly got to his feet. His entire body seemed to scream for rest since waking up at five in the morning to make himself breakfast and wash dishes. He actually didn't know what was worse, cleaning a sink full of used bowls, plates, and silverware, or missing out on M'gann's cooking. Taking into account he couldn't make chocolate chip pancakes himself, he opted for missing her cooking. She then saw him to the Zeta Tube and then was met by Conner who was waiting for him in the Watchtower to start his punishment.

Aside from having to make his own breakfast and clean up after himself on the days he had early training, which was three times a week, Garfield was also responsible for washing the Bioship, Sphere, and Wolf twice a week. He also had to stay in the Watchtower if M'gann or Conner were not around to make sure he wouldn't get into trouble. But what almost killed him was when M'gann said no sweets for a month. Given his sweet tooth, he was certain he wouldn't last a day.

Watching the green boy all but inhale the bottle of water, Conner slightly grinned and shook his head. "Look at it this way, Gar. By the end of the month, you'll be ahead of every one of the newer team members."

"If I survive that is." Looking up, Garfield was dreading when the buzzer will sound at the end of the rest period.

Apokolips

October 05, 10:01 UTC

Deep inside a stone building surrounded by pillars of fire, the sound of tools clanging and machinery working echoed off the walls. There was a reason the inhabitants of the industrial planet kept clear of this building as the inhabitant was known for not only using inorganic machinery in his creations, but 'organic' machinery as well. Occasionally, Darksied would punish insubordination by sending violators, who were mostly too tired or weak to work, to the workshop where they would never be seen again.

"Barf munchin' pit sniffers," a little man in a green jumpsuit and a metal pack on his back muttered as he labored over a large table. "This is why I hate magic. Science can't concur it and my work goes to rubbish. I make art from suffering, art from despair, art from…from…something else that brings pain."

"How about torture?"

Turning from his work, the little man eyed a lithe and lanky young man with jet black hair walk into his lair. His black suit was perfection in itself as not so much as a wrinkle could be seen. Resting in his arms was an orange cat, just as evil looking as he was, who was being petted lovingly. It let out a yawn as it rested its head in the crook of the man's arm.

"What do you want, witch boy?" the little man asked as he lifted a welding mask to reveal a young looking, bald headed face.

"Nothing much, Gizmo. I just want to know where my girl is?"

"As I told you once before, Klarion, retrieving a magic user is easier said than done. You can't anticipate what they'll do or how powerful they are."

Letting out a sigh, Klarion lifted his cat and stroked the bottom of its jaw. "Teekle, go find a nice, quiet place while daddy talks to the elf, okay?" Letting the animal down, the black clad young man sauntered over to the table Gizmo was working at. "It looks to me your creation wasn't good enough to take care of a lone girl to me."

Ripping of his mask, Gizmo threw his acetylene torch on the ground and climbed over what he was so diligently working on, the cyborg the girl destroyed the other day. "Now see here, puss bucket, my creations are perfect, capable of going against any and all I send it after."

"I thought you got it from Earth," Klarion said as he turned his back to the table.

"The body's from Earth, but the tech is mine, all Apocalyptic and capable of performing any job I send it on."

"Except for kidnapping a homeless girl."

"That's it, you want to start something? I'll finish it you floater!" Pressing a button on an arm mounted device, Gizmo's metal backpack sprouted four mechanical legs and twin cannons over his shoulders. The weapons powered up, ready to fire at the witch boy.

"Ohh, goody," Klarion said as his eyes turned red and his face took on a sinister appearance. "It's been awhile since I was able to have some fun."

"And it will be another while still, Klarion." Entering the underground workshop, Vandal Savage strutted over to the feuding pair. "Remember, Klarion, we are all on the same side with the same goal in mind. Victor Stone was chosen from a number of individuals, mostly due to his father's work on him. If it wasn't for that unsightly car accident, we wouldn't have our very own infiltrator."

"Infiltrator? What do you mean by…you know what? Never mind. If I can't bring the chaos here, I can find another place to do so. Teekle, front and center."

Hopping from a darkened corner of the workshop, the orange cat sauntered back to its owner. Its mouth had a crimson stain around it, evidence it had just partaken in a meal. The animal looked over at the small man with the mechanical arm coming out of his back and let out a hiss as its eyes flashed red before leaping into its masters arms again.

"Come on, Teekle, let's go somewhere else where we can be appreciated more." Taking his leave, Klarion and his familiar headed out of the door, leaving Savage and Gizmo behind. "Remember Gizmo, I want that girl. I lost the Helmet of Fate, I don't want to lose another source of power. It's mine!"

"You'll have to excuse Klarion, he's a little…immature sometimes," Vandal stated.

The large man paced around the table Gizmo had the cyborg on as he repaired him. Raven had did a good job rendering him close to obsolete, meaning it would take time for all repairs to be completed. Fortunately, repairing the mechanical man was easier than rebuilding him at this point.

"Just make sure you keep that puttzinger away from my inventions. If he wants that girl so bad, then he needs to go get her." Pressing the switch he previously activated, the small man had his mechanical legs fold back into his pack. "As for your request, Desaad has ordered me to outfit the troops on War World with additional Apokaliptic tech." He took out an oil stained rag and wiped his bald little head of sweat then motioned for the much larger man to follow as he jumped off the table.

Leading the way, Gizmo waddled into the next room with Vandal casually walking behind him. He only came to his knee in height but was more than capable of holding his own when using his inventions. Passing into the next area, the two arrived in a large chamber akin to an air force hanger with hundreds of people slaving away inside. The two walked along a high catwalk and looked down where the others worked. Large vats of molten metal glowed brightly in the darkness as buckets situated on a revolving tram dipped into the liquid and moved forward. Those down there with them emptied the liquid metal into molds to be fabricated into whatever devious creation Gizmo had designed. Fire flared out of wide open tubes with black smoke hovering above all who slaved there.

"By the time we're ready, War World will be fully restocked with Apokaliptic weaponry, carry its own army, and be able to rain havoc on all who you see fit, just as long as I get paid."

"And that you will. An entire fleet of Meta-Humans will be at your disposal to carry on your work with a large amount of resources for you to use." Looking over the area, Savage eyed a small girl with a rather heavy sack flung over her shoulder. "Humanity needs to evolve on its own. That's the only way it can get stronger. From what I have seen here, the ones under your rule have done quite nicely. No war, no hate, all worship a ruler under a unified cause, to advance civilization for all."

Turning to face the small man, Savage stretched out his arms. "This…this is the future I see for my planet. One ruler, one nation, one cause, one purpose. No more being divided by boarders, no more being divided by faith, just one nation under myself. And when that happens, when we rid ourselves of the thorns and weeds among the garden, humanity will have finally seen the light."

**AN: I think I can pull off my usual schedule since I managed to find the un-edited chaps and save them from my hard drive. Luckily it wasn't too messed up. It was just a little black from how hot my laptop got before it bit the big one.**

**To Michaela, to answer to your questions in order; 1. You'll have to wait and see. 2. Yes, Conner is the second project from Cadmus since Match was created before him.(Trenchancy third since the Genomes were made before they were) 3. The series says Lex as the other DNA along with Superman's to create Conner. Mongul is part of what the baddies are planning. 4. What you refer to as a plant is just a gray mass used in the story that will come into play later. Hope this clears it up for you and anyone else with questions.**

**To BlueRaven015 and the others wanting to know where Artemis is, she will be in this next chapter, which I'm making this entire part reminiscent of the Breather story I wrote before this.**

**Thanks for reading, commenting, favoriting and following! More to come and feel free to ask anything if you don't understand, just in case I didn't describe it clearly. Just keep in mind, if it's going to come into play later, I'll plead the fifth.**


	22. Chapter 22

2.

Gotham City

October 17, 11:47 UTC

"About time you got here." Sitting on a the couch in her mother's apartment, Artemis sat a large empty glass of tea on the side table as M'gann entered the domicile with Paula Crock wheeling herself beside her.

"Sorry," M'gann said as she took a seat on a chair across from her friend. "But I had a late mission last night and needed the extra rest.

"Nothing too dangerous I hope," Paula said as she picked up her daughter's glass. "Would you care for something to drink, M'gann?"

"It was just a stake out mission at a Star Laboratory in Chicago, nothing major." The Martian girl unzipped her purse and pulled out a green, half-filled bottle. "And I have a Sprite in my purse, so maybe just some ice?"

"Of course, and I'll bring you some more tea, Artemis."

"Thanks mom." As Paula wheeled herself into the kitchen, the blonde archer shifted in her place and attempted to put another pillow behind her back. "Ugh, really need something softer."

"Here, let me help." Grabbing the throw pillow next to her, M'gann helped to make her friend a little more comfortable as she fluffed her and two other pillows to support Artemis better. She then had to give her friend a hug after that. "Oh, I've missed seeing you every day."

"Same here. I miss the action and the team. I'm more than ready to get back in the fight."

"Are you serious? You've got a mini you to take care of afterwards."

"And it already wants out," Artemis said as she patted her stomach.

"It's already kicking?"

"It's been over sixteen weeks by the doctor's guess, so, yeah. He started last night. Feel."

Taking her friend's hand, Artemis placed it over her stomach and waited for the baby to kick. A moment later, both women were awarded with a light thump from under the expectant mother's skin and laughed. Hearing the two from the kitchen, Paula smiled as she refilled her daughter's glass and replaced the pitcher in the fridge.

"Oh my gosh! That's incredible!" M'gann expressed. "I'm so happy for you."

"Don't be so happy, morning sickness sucks. Plus my feet have been swollen, I've been retaining water, and Charlie's horses have been running up and down my legs so much, I'm thinking of opening my own race track. Knowing my luck, this little boy's already doing sprints in there. But I guess that's something you won't know about."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you can't really get, um…with the…and Conner…I mean you're a…and he's a…"

"Two different species. Yeah. It's really not a big deal. But that doesn't mean I'm any less happy for you." M'gann smiled as her friend looked her over. She was happy she was the only one with mental powers so Artemis couldn't read her mind and know what she was really thinking.

Picking up on the Martian's slight change in the tone of her voice, as well as the smile she quickly formed, Artemis decided to change the subject. She knew it was one M'gann didn't really want to get into. "Okay, so uh, what have I missed since being away?"

"What do you mean?" M'gann asked as Paula reentered the living room. "I thought Zatanna was telling you what's been happening."

"She tells me League news, you tell me team news. Together, you're my hands in the cookie jar known as life outside of pregnancy. Now what's this about Star Lab thefts?"

After taking the glass of ice from Paula, who went back into the kitchen to finish cooking lunch, and sitting back on the couch, M'gann poured her drink into the container and took a sip. "Well, we were alerted to them back in September. The League knew about it since August and thought they found a pattern but it proved false. We got the case and have been working on anticipating their next move ever since. The most we can tell is that the crimes have been random. All we know about is several pieces of technology, programs, and chemicals have been stolen just to be found destroyed or neutralized."

"So why would they, or he, or her, or it, go through the trouble of stealing from Star labs only to destroy them?"

"That, we can't figure out. It's also the way they go about it thats been stumping us. They've been disabling the security system but only for where they need to go, which would take nothing short of a genius with the level of security any Star Lab has. We thought it may be an inside job but all the employees have been checked out. Dick and Barbra have noticed a similarity on how they get in as they use the air ducts and elevator shafts, the only places no one thinks to ever secure with cameras or other measures, then they change tactics and enter where there are cameras as if showing off what they could do. Whoever they are, they're good."

"What about that alien chick you brought back? How has she been working out?"

"Starfire, she's like Cassie and Bart rolled into one."

"Oh, God." Slapping a hand over her face, Artemis let out a laugh as she thought about how her friends were getting along with another ecstatic team member. "Tell me more, please."

Laughing herself, M'gann continued. "If you thought I was annoying when you first met me-"

"I didn't think you were ano-" A grin spread on the blonde's lips as she saw her Martian friend tap the side of her head, indicating her telepathy. "Okay, you got on my nerves a little until I really got to know you. Continue."

"She's always so perky and fascinated at nearly everything she sees or experiences and always tries to please everyone by showing exactly what she can do in a fight and being nice."

"Sounds like a certain green Martian I know."

"Yeah, Dick already made that perfectly clear, thank you very much."

"Can she handle herself in a fight?"

"Absolutely. She's super strong and a good fighter. Then there's the cyborg Garfield was chased down by." Taking another sip of her drink, M'gann sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose at what she smelt. "What is that smell?"

Smelling the air, Artemis just about drooled at what her mother was cooking. "It's Bánh mì kẹp thịt and Bún Ốc."

"What?"

"Bánh mì kẹp thịt is a Vietnamese sandwich with mayonnaise, jalapeños, pickled daikon, pickled carrot, cucumber slices, sardines, eggs, pork, fried tofu, and head cheese. Bún Ốc is a noodle dish with vermicelli and snails. I used to hate eating that stuff until the cravings kinked in and now, I can't get enough of it. I asked my mom if she could make enough for you and she was happy to do so since you're staying for lunch."

"Sounds…delicious." The look on M'gann's face betrayed her words as she tried to smile at her friend.

It took all of Artemis' concentration to not laugh at the disgusted smile on the green girl's face. Her lips seemed to say 'Ew' with her eyes yelling 'Time for me to run for my life." The blonde girl couldn't help but think this was revenge from having to eat her friend's burnt desserts and not wanting to hurt her feelings so long ago.

"Lunch is served girls." Paula announced as she brought her chair up to the coffee table and handed out silverware, napkins, and placed her and Artemis' drinks on the table.

"I'll get the food, mom," Artemis offered when M'gann spoke up.

"Um, no, don't bother. I'll get it." As much as her gut shouted for her to phase through the wall and fly far, far away from what she was fixing to be served, she had the plates and bowls of food brought over to them and actually saw the dishes for herself. She couldn't help but want to follow her gut more than anything at that moment.

"Oh, M'gann, can you please bring over the pickled pigs feet? Those go so good with the Bún Ốc, just wait and see."

M'gann really wanted for follow her gut alright, if it survived the meal that is.

Chicago

October 17, 14:15 UTC

Inside the apartment building M'gann, her uncle, and blood brother resided in, a pair of tired legs slowly made their way up a staircase to the floor the apartment he and his sister lived in. Every step felt like lifting fifty pound weights with each leg. His arms were like jelly as he held onto the rail for support with his hands smelling of dog shampoo and conditioner. All in all, Garfield was tired, and it wasn't even one of his early training days.

Reaching the front door of the apartment, he reached into a pocket for his keys but found none. He checked the other one, only to find a rag hanging out of it. Nowhere on his person was his set of keys, a discovery that made him moan as he crashed his forehead on the door and let out a groan. With all he had to do today, he just wanted to get the smell of dog off him and sleep for the rest of the day.

"Hey, Gar," Conner's voice came from the bottom floor. "Forgot something?"

Looking over the railing, the teen saw his teammate spinning his keys around on a finger. "I'll be down. Just give me an hour." Before he could move toward the stairs, Conner was already walking up to join him. Reaching the top, he went ahead and unlocked the door for the boy who tiredly made his way inside and fell on the couch. He then took off his glamor charm, returning back to his usual green self, only without the fur and tail this time. He was too tired to assume the hybrid version of himself right now.

"Come on, Gar. It's not that bad," Conner said as he ventured to the refrigerator.

"Ugh, why do you hate me?" Garfield groaned as he moved his head to look at the Kryptonian.

"I don't hate you, Gar." Taking out a Gatorade, he opened it and handed it to the tired youth. "If I did, I wouldn't have cared if you got in trouble."

"Then why are you trying to kill me?" Garfield then immediately drank around half of the purple liquid. "You know Wolf doesn't like to take baths and Sphere has like, thousands of crevices to clean. And then there's the bioship. I have to clean it in storage form, then in ship form, then I have to clean the inside of it. I'm dying, Conner!"

"You're not dying, just being punished with extra work." Grinning and letting out his usual 'tuh' sound, he took a seat on the arm of the couch. "Tell me something; is it that important to you that your sister and I get back together?"

Garfield let out another groan.

"Look, I can appreciate your concern, but you don't need to follow us when we go out. If something comes up when we're out together, we can handle it. Like I said, we're taking it slow. Now, what's the real reason you're so adamant we get back together?"

Sitting up, the boy ran his thumb over the lid of his drink. "Promise you won't say anything?"

"Have I said anything about what happened when we were watching that movie a few months back?

"Okay, but this cannot ever leave the apartment."

"Fine."

Tapping a finger on the side of his bottle, Garfield inhaled deeply then let the air out slowly. "When I was little, I saw my dad and mom fight a lot. They said they hated each other before he left for a few days. After he came back, they fought again and he grabbed his stuff. He never came back after that."

Conner sighed as he crossed his arms.

"I guess I just didn't want to relive that again. You two were so happy when I met you then after she tried to make you forget and you got even more mad at her, I kinda felt like I did when I was a kid and saw my dad leave my mom. Then when she started dating…ugh…I was just hoping you two would just get back together. So I tried to help as best I could when I saw the both of you were patching things up. She brought me here after my mom died and you were there right beside her. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. That was just an accident."

Conner looked at the boy and let out a breath. "I…guess I understand." Standing up, he ran a hand through his hair then placed his hands on his hips. "Tomorrow when you get to the Watchtower, I'll let you take the day off and tell M'gann you were training with me like you're supposed to. Just don't tell her."

"You're gonna let me shirk a day?"

"As long as you don't tell."

"Sweet, I can finally sleep!" Garfield practically threw himself on the sofa and pumped his arms in celebration.

"I'll let you get cleaned up and get some burgers or something until M'gann or J'onn get back."

"Want my keys?"

"M'gann gave me a spare."

"Wait." Getting up from his resting place, Garfield cut Conner off before he could get to the door. "Sis gave you a spare key to the apartment?"

"…Yeah?"

"You're the only one she's done that to! You know what that means?"

"She wants me to have a spare?"

"No, it means she wants you to be here with her for, you know." The green teen wiggled his eyebrows as he smiled and nudged Conner in the ribs.

"You want that day off, Gar?" Conner said as he raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Noted, going to get cleaned up now."

As Conner turned to leave and Garfield headed for the bathroom, they heard rapid footsteps approach the door before M'gann phased into the apartment.

"Move!" She phased right through Conner and pushed Garfield to the side as she ran to the bathroom, leaving the two staring questioningly behind her.

A moment after the door slammed shut, the two heard the toilet seat being lifted up as the Martian girl gagged and regurgitated. They shared a worried look before glancing back at the closed door.

"I hope she's alright," Garfield said. "I don't think she was sick this morning."

They heard another gag as she continued throwing up.

"Maybe it was something she ate?" asked Conner.

**AN: To all my American brothers and sisters, Happy 4****th**** of July!**

**And for those of you who want more Nightwing and Starfire, part six will have more of those two, so stick around.**


	23. Chapter 23

3.

El Paso, Texas

October 20, 13:46 UTC

"Move up!" a teenage boy yelled from the middle of a dirt field. "This one can't hit!"

Following the announcement, a group of teens moved a few feet closer to batch of square shaped bases laid out in a diamond pattern as a young Japanese girl stepped up to home plate with a bat in hand. Her jean shorts and black tights were covered in dirt with her green tank top displaying a deep sweat stain under her neck, the Texas heat will easily do that to anyone. Behind her was another girl with a short braid of dirty blonde hair dangling just past her neck who was in a squatting position with a leather glove held out before her. She signaled her team mate on a slightly elevated mound who shook his head at the request to throw a curve ball. She flashed him another sign for a fast ball but was again rejected. The last sign she gave was for a slider, to which the boy nodded and adjusted his cap slightly as he spit a long strand of saliva just past his shoes.

After checking first and third base to see if the two runners were trying to steal their way to second or home, he wound up and delivered the pitch. The bottom half of his white unbuttoned baseball jersey flipped to land on his head as he balanced on one leg once the baseball left his hand. As for the girl holding the bat, she watched as the white ballistic neared where she stood. Normally, she would swing her Louisville Slugger as hard as she could in the hopes of sending it over a cyclone fence some two hundred feet away for a home run, today, she had a different strategy. As the ball came within striking distance, she crouched slightly and bunted the ball away from her, catching the other team completely off guard.

"Oh, shoot!" the boy on the pitcher's mound shouted as he took off for the ball. It was at the same moment the hind catcher dove for the ball, which caused him to trip over her and land across her legs.

"Get off me!" the girl shouted as she lost the ball and the kid on third base ran for home.

Safely crossing the plate, the boy from third base watched with the rest of his team as the other boy from first rounded second and headed for third as the pitcher and catcher scrambled after the ball. The Japanese girl responsible for the hit flew by first base and sprinted for second when the second baseman caught the ball and readied to tag her out.

"Asami," one of her team mates yelled. "Go back to first!"

Skidding to a stop, Asami spun on one foot and took off back the way she came only to see the first baseman catch the ball and run towards her. She again came to a stop to head back the other way when the second baseman caught it. He lunged out for her as she came close but since he was taller than her, she took the low road, a decision which took her less than a second to make as she slid under his legs. Once she passed him, she managed to get back to her feet and dive for the base to be safe.

"Good job, Asami!" a long black haired Apache teen yelled from the dugout, which was just a line of foldable chairs both teams shared. Hearing her friend's voice, Asami gave him a bright smile and a thumbs up as she tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear and adjusted her headband while another batter took her place at home plate.

Getting ready to go up after the current batter, the Native American teen grabbed one of the spare bats and leaned on it as he continued to sit until his turn. His usual brown pancho was abandoned for a simple white tank top, which was tucked into his dirt covered jeans. His previous garment lay on the back of his chair as it was too hot to wear. Taking off his usual headband, he wiped the sweat from his brow when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Hey, Tye. Tye! Come on, _hermano_."

Turning in his chair, Tye looked over to see his old friend, Jaime Reyes approach. He had to look twice as his friend looked as if he were trying to disguise himself with a pair of sunglasses, ball cap, and a loose fitting, sleeveless maroon hoodie. Given this was Texas and was still hot this time of year, he stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Hey, Jared," Tye said to a teammate next to him, "I'll be back. Take my place if I'm not back or if there's an out."

Receiving a nod from his teammate, Tye handed off his bat and joined Jamie by the fence. Both teens looked each other over, taking in the difference a few months not seeing one another can make. Jaime had gotten a bit more muscular, no doubt from the training and work in protecting mankind while working with the Black Ops team. Tye had also gained some muscle as well as hit a growth spurt to where he was a bit taller than Jaime was.

"Long time, no see." Tye said.

"Guess so. Looks like you've been doing good."

"I have."

Taking a glance around him, Jaime lowered his glasses slightly but still left them on. "Has…has things quieted down here?"

"You mean, 'do people still think you're a traitor'? Yes, they still do."

Letting out a sigh, the Hispanic teen leaned on the fence. "That's what I was afraid of. The Reach really screwed me over when they took control of my scarab. Is it still that bad? I mean, I've been trying to redeem myself to everyone but it's just so hard and takes so long."

"Tye, believe it or not, I know what you are talking about. Ever since I can project my astral form, the members of my tribe have been reluctant to accept me back whole heartedly. They assume the same with me as they do you, even though you helped save the world."

"_Mira_, since I'm back in town for a few days, do you mind if I crash at your place. My parents don't seem to be home."

"As you say in your language, '_mi casa es su casa_'." The two clasped hands in a firm shake when Tye was called and asked if was going to bat or not. "I'll be right back. I gotta go hit one out of the park."

"Just like little league?" Jaime asked.

"Just like little league."

Taking his place at the plate, Tye looked the field over to see Asami on third base and the previous batter on first. The pitcher didn't take long to decide on what pitch to throw and started things off with a curve ball for a strike. The second pitch went wide for a ball as with the next throw. Resorting to his fast ball, the pitcher hurled the projectile as hard as he could and flinched when he heard the crack of the bat. All eyes were on the white ball as it shot high into the air and over the fence, making it a three run homer. The other team couldn't believe their luck as they now had to get five runs just to tie it up as Tye rounded the bases and celebrated with his team.

Twenty minutes later, the three teens made their way down the sidewalk of El Paso with snow cones in their hands. Tye had eaten around half of his cherry treat as Asami was nearly finished with hers. Her lips were blue, making her look extremely cold despite it being near a hundred degrees outside. As for Jaime, he was enjoying his pickle juice snow cone, the color of which made him look like he was breaking the one rule kids recite when playing in the snow.

"So, how does it taste?" Tye asked as he saw Jaime took a bite of his frozen treat.

"Like pickles, what do you think?"

"It doesn't taste like something else?"

"What do you mean?"

Listening in on the boys conversation, Asami couldn't help but but grin as she picked up on what Tye meant. "You eat yellow snow, you eat yellow snow," she said in sing song with a giggle.

Stopping in his tracks, Jaime looked down at his frozen concoction and instantly knew he didn't want it anymore. The next trashcan he came across received the yellow ice and cup as they walked past. "Next time, I think I'll get the rainbow one. It looks like a little clown head."

Tossing her empty cup in the trash, Asami cleaned her hands with her napkin then took hold of Tye's hand as the three continued walking down the street as said boy drank the melted leftovers.

"Man, no matter where I go, I won't miss this heat," Jaime said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"You would feel cooler if you stopped wearing the hoodie," Tye pointed out.

"Then how else will I hide the scarab on my back?"

"Wear a backpack with a hole in it," Asami offered.

"She's getting better at English, Tye. But I don't think that will work, Asami. I need to be able to armor up quickly and if the bag gets snagged, it might cause a problem."

"**A covering such as that would most definitely cause a problem, Jaime Reyes,"** the scarab responded. **"It would hinder my ability to protect you by potentially slowing me down by point zero nine three six seven one two four Nano seconds. That is a risk we should not take."**

"Scarab talking to you again?" Tye asked.

"Yep. But at least it doesn't want me to vaporize you anymore. So what have you two been up to since I saw you last?"

"Aside from teaching Asami English and learning Japanese myself, we've been keeping the crime down, especially to the tribes around here. And my mom's boyfriend split, so-"

"Finally!" Jaime exclaimed. "Dude, you know how much I've been waiting to hear that? Ever since I met him and found his bootleg merchandise, I've been hoping he would leave. What finally did it?"

"He wanted us to use our powers to help him become the head of the tribe. He tried to back us up into a corner but my mom overheard. She kicked him out after that. When he didn't agree to leave, I formed my astral self and threatened to throw his truck across the desert."

"Okay, now that's cool."

"Then I blew it up." Asami said, bringing Jaime to a stop. When he stared at her, she continued. "He said he would have Tye thrown out of his Apache tribe so I blew his truck up with my powers."

Seeing a smile overcome Asami's face as she held onto Tye's arm, who was nodding with a grin of his own, Jaime let out a laugh. "_Dios Mio_, your girlfriend's hardcore."

Asami's smile grew brighter.

Once at Tye's house, the three gathered around the dining table after Tye and Asami cleaned up from their game. Dinner was eaten with stories of Jaime's adventures with the team and with what has been happening. They soon retired to the living room as Tye's mom cleaned up, giving her son and his girlfriend time to catch up with Jaime.

"Maybe you and the others could help here," Tye said as they flipped through channels and did their homework. "There was a big news story about a break in at Star Labs near here. The news said they could not find out how they got in or out until they found a case of…what was it Asami?"

"Biological mutagen agents specifically designed to manipulate the human genome," the Japanese girl answered.

"Say what now," Jaime said.

"**A human genome biological mutagen agent is a substance used for the augmentation of a human's DNA. It would be best used for repair and recombination. Such chemicals could also potentially create a new being if the right chemical mixtures and equipment were used."**

"Oh, of course." The couple looked at their tech wearing friend. "Um, Scarab again," Jaime pointed out.

"Anyway," Tye continued. "The case with the stuff was found in the desert destroyed. It was completely useless to anyone and it was all accounted for."

"They were thought to be doing…in…indust…industrial…sabotage," Asami told him. "Maybe working for another company."

"But that wouldn't make sense," Jaime said as he slumped back on the couch. "Why would they just leave damaged goods behind instead of selling them for profit or taking them back to whoever hired them? If it's industrial sabotage, then what's their overall goal in this?"

"I don't know," Tye said as he turned the volume of the TV up. "But I think you and your team need to find out." Increasing the volume of the news program, Tye and the others listened to the anchorman report on another break in at a Star Laboratory building in west Minneapolis.

"These break ins are random," Jaime pointed out. "There's no pattern to them and we can't guard every Star Lab in the country at the same time."

"Then maybe you should look closer."


	24. Chapter 24

4.

Smallville – Hidden Underground Lab

October 21, 02:34 UTC

"Status report."

Stomping his way from the white light of a Boom Tube, a tall, blond scientist made his way to the clear glass wall separating the arrival zone from the more delicate parts of the hidden lab. His hair was soaked in sweat, not from working out, but from being nervous. He was the most recent human to take lead position of the lab since the mass murder of the previous crew and had just gotten back from having a long talk with Lex.

His fingers flew over a keypad to unlock the door in which he entered while straightening his white lab coat and making sure it was buttoned up. He hastily journeyed over to the large glass cylinder in the middle of the room where the small gray mass had now become something more. Lab technicians rushed back and forth as they tried to make sense of what just happened while making room for their boss.

"Status report, now!" the scientist yelled again as another man wearing a thick pair of eyeglasses rushed to him with a clipboard.

"Sir, I have everything here. The mass…it, it, it…grew suddenly and crystalized." The second scientist, whose nametag read 'Will' flipped a few sheets of paper over to show the main scientist a group of pictures taken from a video surveillance recording.

"What am I seeing, Will?"

"Well, Mister Cranston, the uh… the mass was slowly growing for the past few months until it was the size of a…well, you saw it. Around an hour after you left, it had a, uh, growth spurt. It grew several feet to what you see before you before it crystalized. It even grew teeth."

"Teeth?"

Pulling a picture from the stack his boss was looking through, Will took hold of one of the last photos and held it up with a shaky hand. "It," he swallowed a large lump in his throat. "It looked at us."

Taking a good look at the picture, Cranston could see just how much the mass has grown. It was now larger than a man, both in height and width. It was still hard to make out, but with the size of the thing before him, he estimated it was at least seven and a half feet tall. Of course that was his guess as it was hunched over and its true size couldn't be determined. If he could describe it, it would look somewhere between a man and a devil. What looked like its legs were bent slightly with what he could guess were feet. Large, bulbous forms looked to form its shoulders with thick ridges crossing in front of it, resembling arms which were slowly forming. A trunk-like appendage seemed to be growing between its shoulders with a long slit across its bottom. A closer inspection by the head scientist proved Will was right as it did indeed have a line of developing teeth. Taking a step closer and looking back at the photograph, the scientist had to make sure his eyes were not fooling him. Looking past the purplish crystal that had formed over it were two darkened spaces near the center of what he assumed was its face. He looked back down at the picture then back up at the thing inside the tube and could swear he was being stared at.

"These…these are eyes?" Cranston asked.

"Yes sir," Will answered. "Dianne was the first to notice. When I saw it, it had a pair of red eyes and was…staring at us…through us. It began to crystalize fifteen minutes before you got here and finished around three minutes after you arrived."

Looking back at the picture, Cranston let out an unsteady breath. He had never seen anything like this before. The closest he had come to was witnessing the creation of the Genomorphs several years ago, but this thing did look like one of those and certainly didn't grow as fast. It did have some similarities such as the skin tone, eye color, and what looked to be spikes here and there, but that was as far as it went. Why it was encased in a large crystal, he had no idea, that was something Desaad would have to answer when he next saw him. Right now, he couldn't look away from it. He also felt a chill run up his spine as he still felt he was being watched.

Metropolis

October 21, 12:44 UTC

"And so my friends, we are left to ponder the need for these costumed vigilantes or so-called heroes."

Standing before a live TV audience and several cameras, G. Gordon Godfrey paced slowly on a stage with his hands clasped behind his back. His last name was displayed on a wall behind him in large, brightly lit letters with a stool sitting in front of them.

"Now, I for one will not go so far as to call for the absolute cease and desist of their activities. Take for instance the numerous attacks placed upon us, regular folks, and the vigilante's actions to save us. Case in point was the sudden attack by a rather large weed in parts of the greatest country in the world, good ol' US of A and other countries as well. The plant caused a rather impressive amount of destruction until the League put a stop to it. Also, take into account various natural disasters, criminals, and various other emergencies. Where would we be without heroes such as Superman coming to our aid and saving a bus full of school children from falling off a bridge. Or how about a certain red speed demon beating the clock to stop an atomic bomb from going off and destroying the city of New York? What of the pointed eared crusader and Amazon teaming up to bring down two of the most dangerous criminals the world has to offer in Clay Face and Giganta? These are just a few of the fine examples of heroism the League has to offer. But what of the dark side to these heroes?"

Moving back to his seat, Godfrey took a glass of water from it and took a sip. He then sat in its place and made sure his dirty blond hair was nice and straight.

"I would like to bring your attention to a video taken by a man who so happened to be on vacation and recorded the climax of a battle between Batman and The Joker."

Behind the well-dressed man, a screen lit up with footage of Batman swinging on a rope around a clock tower in Gotham as The Joker fired round after round from his dual pistols.

"As you can see, The Caped Crusader stalls long enough for the Clown Prince of Crime to run out of ammunition before engaging in a final confrontation just out of view. What follows is an explosion, which took out the top ten floors of the structure, a structure that has stood for over one hundred and fifty years and has been declared as a landmark. Now, what do the people have to say about that? Let's go to the footage to find out shall we?"

Switching from the burning building to a crowd of passersbys, the camera picked up on people cheering as Batman exited the building several minutes later with The Joker tied up and being shoved in front of him.

"Well isn't that dandy? The crowd is still on Batman's side even after destroying a century old monument. But what do the city controllers have to say to that? I've got the answers right here."

Holding up a sheet of paper, Godfrey began to read off what is said.

"Shortly after the incident shown, taxes were raised two percent. Bruce Wayne, millionaire playboy, donated a rather large amount of cold hard cash to repair the clock tower, a hero in his own right might I add. Hospitals saw an increase of emergency patients, which were treated for blunt trauma injuries, one gunshot wound from a stray bullet, and even a few who were trampled while trying to get clear of falling debris. If that wasn't enough for you then consider this, during an attack in Metropolis last year, the Man of Steel battled a criminal by the name of Parasite and defeated him by using a pipe from under the street. That may have been great due to the fact parasite is a widely known supervillian, but why do you think that pipe was there for? For your information, it was a pipeline carrying natural gas to half of the restaurants in the city's downtown area. He ripped it out of the ground without a thought to the repercussions of his actions such as the lost revenue to the restaurants, the cost to repair the pipeline and street, or the possibility of causing an explosion and injuring or killing an untold amount of people."

Letting out a sigh, the show's host rested his hands and the paper on his lap.

"Now I'm not the bad guy here. I'm just an average citizen looking out for his fellow man's wellbeing as well as his wallet's. All I'm saying is, maybe these League members should be more responsible for what they do. Maybe they should find a way to cause less destruction and find a way to pay back the cities they destroy while rounding up the criminals. If I may, I would like to quote several lyrics from a nineteen eighties song entitled 'Land of Confusion' by Genesis:

Oh Superman, where are you know?

Everything's gone wrong somehow.

The Man of Steel, these men of power,

Are losing control by the hour.

"Let those words sink in for a moment. What do they tell us? They should tell us, even though we have a Superman and super beings, they are just that, beings. After the fight, where do they go to? Who do they become? Do they walk among us? Do they work in office buildings or in department stores? Just who are these people? Speaking on behalf of a close personal friend of mine, I would like to extend a thought to you all. Maybe these individuals should stop hiding behind a mask or cape, and have only one identity. If they do in fact want to do good and better mankind, then how about they work with the governments of their countries. They could be trusted more by having governmental officials keeping an eye on their activities and the way they do business while also getting paid for their actions. They could answer for any and all destruction instead of leaving it to the tax payers to fit the bill. After all, they do have a hand I causing it, why not have a hand in repairing it?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next question I pose to you is this, how do you feel about your children idolizing these people just for having powers? If I may use one of the Ten Commandments we as a society use as the bases of our laws, 'You shall not have any gods before me.' Do your kids dream of becoming like those wearing tights? Or do they aspire to become like the villains they do battle against? As I have said before when I was warning people about the extraterrestrials coming to Earth, how do we know we can trust them? They could be playing us all for fools like The Reach did. Sure they pulled the wool over Ol' Godfrey's eyes at first, but it didn't last for long. Now, remembering all that, what are your feelings towards the costumed vigilantes sitting in a space station above the Earth which may or may not be armed now?"

Sitting straight with the paper being held up, Godfrey gave the trusting smile he was known for. "That is all for today I'm afraid. But for more information on the overall effect on this nation's economy and those responsible for raising the tax percent, log onto my website at .com and look for the link under the tab, 'What you should know.' Until tomorrow, folks, question your world, question your leaders, and question yourselves. I doesn't take a 'super man' to change things, only the will to. Good day, and God bless."

As the camera operator signaled the broadcast had ended, Godfrey stood and headed for his dressing room. Crew members gave him their congratulations for a job well done as he passed them and shut the door behind him. No sooner had he engaged the lock when a bright light appeared from the other side of the room and Desaad stepped out. He removed his hood and smiled upon the TV host.


	25. Chapter 25

5.

Star City

October 24, 14:16 UTC

"Try again, Cassie." Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Dinah Queen shook her head as the protégé of Wonder Woman failed to balance a book on her head and walk the length of a small room. She had already taken off her blouse to make herself comfortable and now wore a plain white t-shirt and jeans as Cassie was proving to be harder to teach the current lesson to, but at least she was coming along.

"Do I really need to learn this?" Grabbing the hardback copy of Carrie, Cassie stomped back to the starting line and placed the book back on her head. Like the combat trainer before her, she too was in her street clothes, an olive green spaghetti tank top and tan cargo pants.

"Yes, yes you do, Cass. Part of being a lady of high society is looking the part. The way you walk is a dead giveaway. Young women of a sophisticated background do not stomp or…look like a linebacker."

"I don't look like a linebacker!"

"I meant the way you walk. Young ladies are supposed to float, glide, almost fly across the floor as they travel from point A to point D while meeting the people in between. You tend to stomp slightly and look as if you're always looking for a fight at times. Now, as you walk, make sure you place one foot in front of the other, hands to the side, and sway your hips slightly, like this."

Demonstrating for the young woman, Dinah walked several feet from her spot beside a long table to just about where Cassie stood as she showed her how to walk the way she needed. Light from the afternoon sun illuminated the room easily through the three large bay windows overlooking the city. They were on the fifth floor of a rather fancy building owned by Oliver's family. The wooden floors were still like new even after being over fifty years old. The cream colored walls displayed photos of proper posture when involved in a dance with a partner. Although the room was too small for dance instructions, the two women were only there for what they needed to do until Dinah was relieved.

Taking her turn, Cassie exhaled and took a step forward. She had been going at this since yesterday and had made progress, slow progress, but progress nonetheless. The book was staying on her head longer and she was getting to the other side of the room quicker. Now at normal walking speed, she had to remember to keep herself steady and not bounce as much.

"Very good," Dinah commented. "Now when you reach the end, stop to extend your hand, it's the woman's job to offer a hand shake first, not the man's. In this case, he'll either shake it or kiss the back of it. You already know to use "please," "thank you," "may I?" "excuse me," and "I'm sorry." Remember these as you traverse the gathering areas while maintaining proper posture and you will be just fine. You will also need to look people in the eye when speaking to them and avoid looking at things such as blemishes, stains they may have not noticed themselves, and the ever popular nose nugget."

The last part made Cassie snicker but she kept the book on her head. "Do I mention it if they have something like that?"

"Only away from company or on the sly. Just make sure there's nothing like that wrong with you to begin with."

Reaching for the book, Cassie turned to face the veteran League member. "Uh, Dinah?"

"Put the book back on your head and address me properly in conversation."

Doing what she was told, the blonde replaced the book where it was and walked daintily to the elder blonde. "Mrs. Queen, would you please tell me why I have to learn this skill?"

"Diana hasn't told you yet?"

"She had informed me it is due to a mission I may be required for at a later date as she's educating me to proper pronunciate my words."

"Very good, but it's enunciate. Remember to not use contractions while in there. In the meantime, sit and I'll tell you exactly what I know. Time for a break."

"Oh thank goodness." Tossing the novel on the table, Cassie yanked out a chair and plopped herself down in it, making Dinah give a muffled laugh.

"You want to know why Batman wanted you to do this?"

Cassie nodded.

"You didn't hear this from me or anyone else, understand?"

"Yeah," Cassie said as she leaned on her thighs. "So what mission am I wanted for?"

"Batman…Bruce is going through a number of the Black ops team for ones who could fit the bill for an infiltrator mission. You are one of the top two picks with Karen being the other choice. Tim and Mal are the other choices for the guys."

"Ok, so, what is it I'm supposed to do?"

"Bruce has a suspicion Penguin may be working with the light or at least helping them. He claims it may be a long shot in him doing so, but he would rather make absolutely sure and not take the risk. We need two people to go on the inside and behave in an overly sophisticated way as to not raise suspensions and get any and all information. Other than that, I have no idea who else will be on the squads."

"So I take it this place is rather up scale," Cassie said as she leaned back in her chair.

"Correct. And the reason we want couples going in is for the chemistry they have."

"What about Dick and Barbra? They act like a couple when on stakeouts. Or Conner and M'gann?"

"I'm not sure why Dick and Barbra weren't in the running or why Conner and M'gann were not considered, but I'm sure there's a good reason for it."

A knock on the door brought the conversation to a close as Zatanna entered the room. She carried with her a large shoulder bag and set it on the table. It was not common for her to do so but today she let her legs show as she wore a nice skirt and long sleeve shirt combo. "I hope I'm not late."

"On the contrary, you're right on time." Standing up, Dinah grabbed her purse and looked back at Cassie. "Remember, not a word," she whispered to her and got a nod in return. "And be ready tomorrow, you'll be walking in heels this time around." She then left as the League's magician set her bag on the table and began to pull out two cloths while Cassie groaned from the new information.

"Alright, Cass," Zatanna said as she pulled out several more objects from the bag. "I know you have been having trouble remembering the various utensils and what they are used for. I'm going to show you an easier way to remember."

"Oh, jeez," Cassie complained. "I only picked the stupid soup spoon by accident. Unless my luck holds out, I'm never going to get this."

"Relax, I guarantee you'll have it down in no time." Setting a faux table in front of her friend, Zatanna placed a bowl and silverware in their proper places. "Now, the soup has been served, you are expected to use the proper utensil. As someone who has been to where you may be going, please don't ask where, to perform numerous magic shows as well as on dates, I'm going to show you exactly how the table will be laid out when you get there."

With everything laid out properly, Zatanna took a step back and grabbed a nearby chair as Cassie looked the placement over. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Told you it was easy. You simply start from the outside and move inward. Tim and Alfred were teaching you to identify the utensils like you were eating in the 'grand old days', as my father would put it."

"Remind me to smack Tim on the back of the head twice."

"Twice?"

"One for him and one for Alfred. You never strike Alfred."

Letting out a laugh, Zatanna went back to teaching the blonde about sophisticated table etiquette. "Now, the first thing you do upon sitting down is to take your napkin, unfold it, and place it in your lap. It has to stay there until you stand to leave the table during or after the meal. It has to stay there even when you're though eating and making casual conversation. You only move it when you wipe your mouth or to politely cover up a burp."

"Gotcha." Taking hold of her cloth napkin, Cassie neatly unfolded it and placed it in her lap.

"Now, it is important you do not eat until everyone is served. You may take sips but when you need a refill, sort of play with it until your neighbor notices it and refills it for you."

"Why can't I just ask for a refill myself?"

"It's deemed un-lady like to do so. This place, they are strict on etiquette."

"And what is this place? What is this mission about?" the demi-Amazon asked, as if she didn't already have a clue.

"Can't say yet. All I can say is you really need to get this down if you go in."

"Fine, let's get this thing going." This time, Cassie confidently took hold of the soup spoon.

Watchtower

October 25, 16:47 UTC

It was that time again as Nightwing found himself with watch duty in the large open area of the Watchtower. The assistant leader of the black ops team leaned back in his chair, fatigue setting in him as he was only able to grab a few hours rest after forty eight hours of near uninterrupted work. For a member of the Bat Clan, staying up for two days was nothing unless those long hours were full of stopping muggings, investigating leads, researching habits of old villains, and going on missions. As it was, his body was just on the verge of begging for sleep. There was only about three more hours until he could climb into bed though. It just didn't help seeing the monotonous view of never ending space before him.

"Want to slack off early?" Batgirl asked as she came up behind him. "My shift overlaps with yours, so go and get some sleep if you want."

"Thanks, Babs, I could use it after following that lead Lex's book had." Letting out a yawn, the masked man made his way to his feet, popping his arms and back from sitting for so long. "La'gaan and Kaldur are in the field with Mal providing backup. Just keep an eye on them."

"Where were they called to?"

"Gulf Coast. The documents Lex gave us had a shipping schedule with a tanker due in port around seventeen hundred today. It's supposed to be carrying additives to make more Kobra Venom."

"Can't believe Luther's been giving us this info. He's definitely planning something big if he's doing this."

"On the up side, at least that stuff's not reaching the street. But yeah, we're cleaning up his and potentially The Light's messes. Until we can determine what his real plan is, we just have to keep our eyes open and stay on our feet."

"Looking at the map, I would guess he's trying to keep us thinly lined." Bringing up a larger version of the world map Nightwing was looking at, she entered several commands into the computer and had it display each location they had been to. Over eighty locations had been labeled since they got ahold of the document and were shown to not be close enough to provide backup on a short notice.

"Look at this, Dick," Batgirl told him. "Kaldur's team is on the coast. They were called into action shortly after Captain Marvel and Kid Flash went to Canada, making Bumblebee unable to provide support to Rocket, Static, and Atom as she's now with them. Superboy, Sphere, and Wolf are in Mexico, which is too far away for M'gann and Cassie to get to him if he needs help. Beast Boy's with Flash and Plastic Man in Los Angeles, some hours away, except for Flash, from reaching Superman and Wonder Woman in Japan. We are too far spread apart to cover all of Lex's leads at one time."

"I know, you don't have to point that out to me. But what else are we going to do? Every lead has us bringing down some large supply of chemicals, equipment, or weaponry. Batman said we can't ignore them, not after he's checked each one ten times over."

Letting out a sigh, Batgirl switched back to the normal display of the world. "Whatever, I'm just pointing out how ill prepared we are in case something happens."

"Barb, if something did happen, there is no doubt in my mind you would get us together in no time. Mission strategies seem to be your forte."

Crossing her arms, Batgirl let a sly grin show. "You think I'm good at mission strategies?"

"Well yeah. You know how to position us to where we can provide backup to others if we need to. It's something I always thought you had a knack for if you weren't going around Gotham in a cape and cowl…which you always look good in by the way."

Taking off his mask, Dick flashed his best smile at the red headed bat and widened his eyes in the same fashion he did as a kid. Scoffing, Batgirl shook her head and rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms.

"That's not going to work, Dick," she told him with a smirk.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're trying to get on my good side. I told you, partners, nothing more."

"Oh come on. We had fun. Remember roof tag?"

"That was before I found out the type of person you were."

"Well, about that…" Exhaling a deep breath, Dick leaned against the computer terminal and crossed his arms. "I guess…knowing Zee had powers and could protect herself made it easy to have her as a girlfriend with the…you know, secret life. But you were just…something else."

"A fling on the side?" Pulling out the chair next to him, Batgirl took a seat and began her monitoring duty.

"No. I, um…just couldn't decide. I was always afraid you might be hurt because of who I am. I was caught between two people I cared for and thought I could have it both ways. I admit, I was an-"

"Idiot? Pig? Dog?"

"I deserve all that."

"And more."

"And more. It wasn't until I became Nightwing when Zee and I began to drift. She blamed my life on the team, always on a case or mission and not having time for her. But at least we're still friends. You…when I found out you were Batgirl, it just hit me, you know. I should have given you more credit than I did. It wasn't fair to you or Zatanna, what I did, and I apologize for that. Zee's forgiven me, can you?"

Turning in her chair, Batgirl looked her partner up and down before centering on his eyes. She removed her cowl and shook her hair out before sweeping it back. "This is the first time you said you're sorry without the mask on, you know that?"

"I guess…after a time…the mask sort of becomes you."

"Yeah. I guess it does. And because of that…I accept your apology."

**AN: Alright, that as a nice little time out and now it's Back to Action on the next update. And I finally got a new laptop…on clearance…muah ha ha! And remember, this Tuesday is the last of season 2 on DVD as well as the soundtrack, don't forget.**

**raindropsfromjupiter- Thanks for pointing that out, I hadn't noticed I misspelled that.**


	26. Part 6: Ghosts - Chapter 26

Part 6: Ghosts

1.

Watchtower

October 31, 19:59 UTC

**RECOGNIZED, KID FLASH, B, TWENTY THREE.**

Barely announcing the arrival of Bart, the electronic voice of the computer and the sound of the Zeta Tubes shutting down was drowned out by the newer team speedster as he dashed from the Zeta Tubes into the Watchtower. Currently, Garfield and Jaime occupied the couch as they watched a show on one of the classic kid's channels with a girl in a swimsuit throwing a large amount of magnesium on a ghost to destroy it. Half-filled bowls of popcorn rested nearby on the coffee table with several empty bottles of sports drinks.

For the past few hours, the two had sat in front of the large flat screen TV after finishing their homework and training for the day. Even though Garfield couldn't go to a public school, the resident super hero teacher stopped by to give the boy his lessons with his future education already being planned out to involve internet classes should he choose to continue.

Aside from the leftover snacks was the old photo album M'gann and Conner brought back from the destroyed Mount Justice. It was currently being flipped through by the two teens who were laughing at the memories recorded from when the green shape shifter was befriended by the team.

"I can't believe you all did that," Jaime said through a laugh as he held up the book to get a closer look at an old photo.

"Yeah," Garfield said as his prehensile tail gripped a can of Pepsi and brought it to his hand. "That was a great day. It was my first Halloween in America and Dick, Wally, Sis, and I convinced the others to go out in costume."

The photo being looked at had the first eight members of the team with the younger Garfield, before he turned green, striking a pose before venturing out for the 'sacred' tradition known as 'Trick or Treating'. Standing in front of the group was the nine year old Garfield dressed as Luke Skywalker from Episode Four complete with a lightsaber. Hugging him from the side was M'gann dressed as Princess Leia, also from Episode Four, with her hair in the classic 'bun' hairdo. Her skin was still green as they had yet to go out into town. Both had wide smiles for the camera.

Behind them stood Kaldur dressed as Lando Calrissian from Episode Five and Conner dressed as Han Solo. Both stood back to back with their arms crossed and tough guy faces on with Conner brandishing his blaster in one hand. Raquel and Zatanna each struck a sassy pose with their hips out to the side and an arm around each other as the dark skinned heroine wore a Rebel Soldier uniform while the magic wielder went as a Storm Trooper. Their lips were puckered as if kissing the camera. Artemis had a mischievous grin on her face as she held her helmet under an arm with her blaster rifle slung over her soldiers. It was a joke to see her standing beside Conner as she dressed as Boba Fett.

The ginger speed demon next to Raquel went all out as he donned the best Wookie costume Zatanna could create for him as he went as Chewbacca. The team had taken to calling him Wookie-Wally for the next month after that. Last but not least was the Boy Wonder himself as Darth Vader. He even had his hand out as if using the Force to choke someone. The photo was the first of many documenting that night, which Garfield could still remember clearly.

"I actually tried to get Kaldur to go as Admiral Akbar but he wouldn't go for it," Garfield told his Hispanic friend.

Jaime only laughed. "Why? Cause he's a fish?"

"No, it's cause he sounds just like Admiral Akbar when he says, 'It's a trap!'"

Laughing again, Jaime handed the book back the green hairy one. "That's cool you all did stuff like that."

"Yeah, but I couldn't go to the party sis had with Conner in his room after we got back. She said something about trying the 'Return of the Jedi' outfit later on for him." Garfield didn't notice Jaime's jaw drop at what he just said. The youngest member of the team had absolutely no idea what that meant, even though anyone who's seen the movie knew it could only be the iconic metal bikini outfit. "Anyway, I just wish I could go out Trick or Treating tonight, but I can't cause I'm-"

"Ladies and gentlemen," Bart loudly, and swiftly, said as he sped into the common room. "You're looking at the only zombie-pumpkin capable of trick or treating through two different time zones in record time. I love the past or present as the case may be since I'm in the past according to me but the present according to you. Anyway, you've got candy! And it's free! You know what I had to do to get one piece of already chewed bubblegum? I had to work a week straight shoveling rocks in a wheelbarrow just to afford a piece."

"And now you've got five bags full of sugary treats to eat before midnight, right?" Jaime asked as he looked back at him.

"Actually, I had seven. Got kinda hungry moving from state to state, know what I mean?" Tilting his head to the side, Zombie-pumpkin Bart eyed Garfield who had let out a quiet 'whatever' as he slumped on the couch with an upset face. "Hey, _amigo_, what's up with Gar?"

Looking at the green teen, Jaime decided to have a little fun. "He's pining over his girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Garfield yelled as he sat up, eyes wide and book being tossed on the coffee table. "She just helped me fight that cyborg, that's all."

"Right," Jaime said with a grin. "And Bart can't break the sound barrier."

"Just shut up with that, okay? I haven't seen her since that night anyways. It's not like I got her phone number or anything."

"Which is why you're upset, because you haven't talked to…what was her name again? Rebecca?"

"No, it was Rhonda," Bart said through a mouth full of goobers and candy corn.

"No, Rae. Defiantly Rae."

"Or was it Rupaul?"

Having enough, Garfield let out a frustrated growl. "Grrrraaaagh! Her name was Rachel Roth and preferred to go by Raven, okay?!"

"Ha! Knew you remembered her name!" Jaime shouted.

As Garfield's face turned crimson, his two friends laughed at his embarrassment as they good naturedly ribbed him. "Okay, so, what's the real reason he's upset?" Bart asked.

Taking a break from his laughter, Jaime replied, "We were going over his old pictures from Halloween and he's upset he can't go out trick or treating. He's still-"

"Grounded," the green teen interrupted. "I'm still grounded, okay?"

"Still?" Bart asked. "Man, M'gann must have really been mad."

"I had to clean the Bioship after every mission, come straight home after training or stay in the Watchtower if she's not home, no dessert, even though she made a Devil's food cake tonight, and I couldn't play my games for the month. I only have two more days left and it's killing me!"

"Ouch. Well, good luck with that." Hoisting his bags of sweets over his shoulders, Bart quickly made his way out of the room. "How I love a speedster's metabolism!"

"Hey!" Jaime shouted after him. "Nightwing wanted to know when you'll get your time machine out of the way of the Zeta Tubes."

Dashing back into the room, Bart swallowed a mouth full of peanut butter cups with his face paint in the middle of being cleaned off. "Tell him Batman wanted me to reverse engineer as much as I could. I need the space in the gathering room and it'll be another few weeks until I can disassemble it completely and for him to see what's what."

"Well I'll tell him if I see him first. Enjoy your candy."

"Oh ho ho, I will. How sweet it is!" With that, Bart dashed off to where ever it was he always went to in the space station.

Seeing his green friend mock Bart's words, Jaime patted him on the shoulder. "M'gann has a point, _hermano_, you did mess up pretty badly and no one likes to be followed. And it's just one Halloween you have to sit out, no big."

"No big? This could be my last Halloween I can trick or treat. I'll be too old next year."

"Aren't you too old now? You're what, fourteen now?"

"And I'll be fifteen next year. That's too old."

"Well Bart shouldn't be out there then. Sixteen and begging for candy. At least there are still plenty of old 'Are You Afraid of the Dark' episodes left."

"Yeah, at least I still get TV. I guess I'll just relax since I'm done with training and homework."

Knocking on the side of the entrance to the common room Cassie poked her head in. "Hey, have you two seen Conner? He's late for training."

Jaime's eyes practically bulged when he saw the blonde powerhouse in a pair of tight spandex shorts and purple top. "No, not since he got called for that oil rig explosion earlier. Why?"

"Because he's supposed to be training me and Koriand'r. I really want to see if my practice with Diana has been paying off and Koriand'r said something about using her…whatever wrestling moves she told me on him."

"The style of wrestling I informed you about is called Enu Sa'dalyn," Koriand'r explained. "It's what I used to subdue the rampaging Gornfolax before I fought my sister."

As if Jaime's eyes weren't large enough, they grew bigger at the sight of Koriand'r in a pair of red gym shorts and a white, midriff bearing tank top.

"**Warning, Jaime Reyes," **the Scarab said in Jaime's mind.** "Hormonal levels are increasing dramatically. Highly recommend you cool yourself down."**

"Well I'll tell him you were looking for him when he gets here." Ignoring the so-called advice from his Scarab, Jaime watched the girls leave then sank back down into his seat. "How lucky is that? Conner's training with both Wonder Girl and Starfire while Dick spends all day with her too."

"What do you mean?" Garfield asked with a raised eyebrow. "Dick's only watching over Kori cause of Batman's orders, and Conner and sis are back together."

"But look at who he gets to wrestle with. Cass may be Tim's girlfriend, but I will still say she's hot. And Starfire, there's a reason she has 'fire' in her na- wait..she learned English from Dick when she kissed him, right?" Jaime then rubbed his chin as he sat back. "I wonder if she would like to learn Spanish."

"I really hope I'm not like you when I'm your age," Garfield said while shaking his head.

"Yeah, you're still hung up on Goth girl."

To this, Jaime received an elbow to the ribs.

**RECOGNIZED, SUPERBOY, B, ZERO, FOUR.**

Entering the common room carrying a large paper bag, Conner made his way to a mini fridge towards the back of the room and took out a water bottle before heading over to the two couch potatoes. "Cassie and Koriand'r in the training room?" he asked.

"Yeah, they were here earlier waiting for you," Jaime said. "They got upset when Godfrey went on a rant about Meta-humans using Halloween as an excuse to cause trouble, then how all aliens should now be documented with a tracking device planted in their skin, then how great a U.N. Representative Lex is, and then Koriand'r got scared when the vampire came out of the movie screen and attacked the two theatre workers. She almost Starbolted the TV thinking we were in trouble."

"Goosebumps?"

"Are You Afraid of the Dark. You missed Wendy the Werewolf Stalker and Adolescent Wolf by the way. And what's with the new outfit?"

Looking back to see what Jaime was talking about, Garfield wondered the same thing when he saw the Kryptonian wearing a pair of navy blue sweatpants and a red tank top.

"My last shirt and pants were burned getting those people off that oil rig earlier. Haven't had time to get some new ones." Digging in his bag, Conner pulled out a large plastic sack and tossed it in Garfield's lap. "Um, don't tell M'gann." He then headed out of the room.

Grabbing the sack, Garfield hopped up in his seat once he saw the words 'Kiddie Mix' written on the side and hundreds of pieces of candy through the plastic. "Alright, thanks!" he exclaimed.

"Uh, huh."

"Hey, what about me?" Jaime shouted after him. "I can still tell her when she gets back from visiting Artemis."

"Um, wanna help me train Cassie and Koriand'r?"

Jaime's eyes widened as a large smile spread across his face. The opportunity to train with two of the team's best looking female members was a dream come true to him. "Deal."

"**Jaime Reyes!"** The scarab yelled in his head.** "Your hormonal levels are rising quickly! Danger!"**

Twenty minutes later in the training area, Conner was engaged with Cassie in a tie up on the ground. Both demonstrated solid ground based wrestling skills as they rolled on the floor. Conner had Cassie in a tight armbar as she fought to power out of the move. Moving to her side, she managed to slowly bend his legs up and grab her wrist. Increasing the pressure, Conner tried to push her back down but found she was as strong as he was. Succeeding in getting to her feet, the demi Amazon girl lifted her Kryptonian trainer up and slammed him into the ground twice, making him loosen his grip. She wasted no time in flipping over him and crossing his arms over his chest as she pulled back, burying her knee in his spine.

"Give…ugh…give up now?" Cassie asked as she fought to keep in the submission hold.

In response, Conner planted his booted feet on the floor and angled his back as best he could. He slowly managed to get to a somewhat standing position and spun around to where he was facing his blonde combatant before grabbing her by the waist and performing a suplex. His body was now in an arched position with Cassie on her back. Her arms were pinned to her sides as she struggled to get free.

"One," Conner counted as he tried to keep his grip tight around her. Sweat was dripping from his face as he felt his fingers unlocking. "Two."

"I'm gonna…get…" Cassie struggled to say but it was useless. "Dagh!"

"Three!" Letting go, the hybrid leaned on his side as Cassie struggled to catch her breath.

"Where…where d'you learn that…that move?"

"Bart was watching wrestling again. Thought I would try that one out."

"I think I should watch more often then." Rubbing her shoulder, Cassie stood up with help from Conner and straightened out her spandex top. "So how did I do?"

"Diana's teaching you a lot. Almost had me there at the last."

"You won't be saying that next time. I'm gonna make sure I-"

"Watch out!" Crashing near the two power houses, Jaime skidded to a halt against the wall with a light smoke stemming from him. Had his Blue Beetle armor not have been on, he would have most likely suffered several broken bones.

"I am victorious!" Koriand'r shouted as she landed before the three and looked at how the blue armored team member lay against the wall. "Oh are you injured by any chance? Perhaps I should perform the mouth to mouth. Would that make you feel better?"

"Uhh." De-armoring, Jaime stared at Koriand'r with a visible blush. His Scarab seemed to scream about his increased heart rate and blood flow to his face. "Well I-"

Pointing at the Hispanic boy, Cassie had no choice but to butt in. "Don't even think about it, Jaime." She then turned to Koriand'r. "And just what has Dick been teaching you?"

"He said he would teach me everything of importance. Why, is that not necessary to learn?" Koriand'r looked at the three with a questioning look.

"Well…it just depends on how he, uh, actually taught you," Conner said.

"Actually taught her what?" Entering the training area, a maskless Nightwing stood before the three as Kaldur, who was behind him, helped Jaime up.

"Nothing." Crossing his arms, Conner waited to see what the two were up to.

"Well whatever it is, it'll have to wait. Star, Kaldur and I are going on a stakeout. It would be a good opportunity for you to learn about what we do in those situations by joining us. Plus, we may need areal support."

"I can help." Cassie spoke up excitedly. She was always eager to go on missions whenever they would pop up.

"Actually, I need you for another mission," Kaldur told her. "You and Tim need to go undercover here in a few days. I need you to learn to be…sophisticated."

"Hey," Cassie said taking offense. "I'm sophisticated." She then spat the excess saliva in her mouth on the floor. Unknown to the team leader, the blonde was already being prepped for the mission on the side and was hiding how excited she was about being the one chosen for it.

"So I see. I will go over the mission parameters with you tomorrow. Jaime, if you are un-hurt, we need you to join us."

Nodding, Jaime gave his response. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Very well. Conner, take the night off. There doesn't seem to be anything needing our attention at this time."

"Whatever," Conner replied as he left. "Just call if you need backup."

"So," Koriand'r said. "to where will we be going?"

"We are needed in Jump City," Kaldur explained. "There seem to be a series of break-ins involving scientific laboratories. Dick has theorized the equipment stolen could be used in the creation of cross genetic mutations and the next one should occur there tonight."

"We also have evidence they may try to break into the warehouse the lab uses to store its larger equipment, hence the air support from the two of you," Dick informed them. "Kaldur and Jaime will keep watch over the lab. Star, you and I will scope out the warehouse. I need everyone to be on their guard tonight as whoever this person or persons are, they are good."

"I will not let you down," Koriand'r said as she stood straight up.

"Good to hear," Kaldur said. "We leave as soon as you are ready."


	27. Chapter 27

2.

Jump City – Star Labs

October 31, 20:37 UTC

Everything was quiet on the roof of Star Labs. The wind blew slightly as the traffic below remained somewhat quiet. Security lights dimly lit the tarred surface as moths floated around the bulbs in a hypnotized state as a vent covering hung slightly askew where a large steel fan was supposed to be. Slowly, the casing was pushed out as two gloved hands carefully lowered it below the opening and a lithe, black clad figure flipped out. Keeping an eye out, they knocked on the vent shaft to signal for their partner to emerge. Another black clad figure made their way out, this time carrying a metal attaché case.

"Remind me why we got the retrieval job this time?" the second individual asked.

"Quit your whining," the first one said. "If they don't show up, we won't have to do this again."

"And why do we have to make it painfully obvious to you know who? We're better off on our own and not getting caught."

"Because Boss Man wants to settle a score and you should want to see those old friends of yours."

"What old friends? They made it perfectly clear they didn't want to do what's necessary to get the job done. And as for their so-called 'leader', the least I see of him, the better."

As the two quickly made their way to the edge of the building, a pair of eyes spied on them from above. Flying in a circular pattern, Blue Beetle kept watch on the black clad thieves as they made their way to the next building over via a grappling/zip line device. The smaller of the two held on to the other as they sailed across the large gap.

"Aqualad," Blue Beetle said, speaking into his communicator. "I got two individuals in black clothing and ski masks carrying a metal case heading south east. My scarab says if they continue on their current course, they'll reach the warehouse district."

"Acknowledged," Aqualad replied. "I will cut them off at Forty Second Street. ETA, three minutes."

Starting up his unmarked car, the team leader drove into traffic from a crowded club parking lot and headed several blocks away. It didn't take him long to reach an empty alleyway shrouded in shadows and parked the midnight colored car, which blended in so well with the area, it was like it wasn't there. Taking a water bearer in hand, the Atlantian used an overhead water pipe to provide enough liquid to hoist him up to the rooftops. He arrived just in time as the two thieves came to a stop when he landed on the roof.

"It is advised you two should give up and turn over the stolen case," Aqualad coolly stated as Blue Beetle landed behind the thieves. "It is also recommended you come quietly least you-"

"Don't you ever speak like a normal person?" the bigger of the two thieves asked. "You may sound sophisticated, but it does get annoying after a while."

His voice sounded familiar to Aqualad who lowered his guard slightly. "Roy?"

"Good, you've met your friend, now can we go?" asked the smaller of the two.

Pulling his mask off, the face of the original Roy Harper in a domino eye covering stared back at his old 'friend'. "It's about time you caught on. We've only been doing this for several months."

"Roy, why are you-"

"It's Arsenal, Kaldur, and-"

"Oh just get this over with." Taking off their mask, the second mystery individual was reviled to be feminine with short, spiked purple hair, which matched her glowing eyes and pale skin. "We don't have time for this."

Raising her arms above her head, the girl's hands were surrounded in purple energy, which she threw forward. Aqualad had to act fast as two waves of explosions came his way. As for Blue Beetle, he took to the sky when the woman sent several arcs of energy at him.

"Really hate to do this, but Jinx has a point." Ripping a black glove off, Arsenal aimed his robotic arm at Aqualad and fired a cable from it. The line wrapped around his so-called friend's arms and legs, bringing him hard to the ground. "If you want to try to stop us, meet us at the warehouse. Then again, it's not like you could. We could finish this any second we want."

"Roy, wait!" Watching his friend take off running, Aqualad formed a blade from a water bearer to cut himself free.

"**Calculating next move,"** Blue Beetle's scarab said as it took measurements on how the woman was moving, or tumbling, while firing her energy blasts. **"There, fire now!"**

Morphing his arm from its sonic cannon to its staple gun form, Blue Beetle launched one of the blue metal staples where the woman would end up from her tumbling when she stopped and launched another energy blast. Instead of trying to hit the blue hero, the woman's blast hit the staple he fired and forced it to turn the other way. It then struck Blue Beetle and wrapped itself around him.

Landing with a thud, the teen struggled to get free as the woman planted a boot on his chest. "The name's Jinx, blue boy. And here's some free advice, stay out of our way. Wouldn't want to explain a broken arm or leg from a girl to the mentors now, would you?"

With that said, she back flipped away and landed on the edge of the building where she then leapt to where Arsenal was. It didn't take long for Aqualad to cut himself free and for Blue Beetle to pry the staple open, freeing himself.

"Blue Beetle, follow those two," Aqualad ordered. "Chances are they will be heading to the warehouse district. I will meet you there in the car."

"Want me to radio Nightwing and Starfire?" Forming his wings, the armored team member hovered a few feet from the ground.

"As much as I want to, I do not think that would be wise. Roy knows our frequencies and could have easily hacked into them. Any warning could be-"

"Jammed?" Roy's voice came from Aqualad's and Blue Beetle's com units. "Ever the tactical thinker, huh Kaldur?"

Pressing a finger to his ear, Aqualad quickly answered back. "Roy? Why are you doing this?"

"What, you're the only one who can turn on his friends and get away with it?"

"I did not turn on my friends, I-"

"Went undercover, I know. Just want to tell you, we're nearly to the warehouse. Meet me there and you'll get your answers…maybe."

Letting out a frustrated growl, Aqualad stared up at the flying, armored teen "Blue Beetle, go. I'll catch up."

"Got it, _jefe._" Taking off, Blue beetle flew in the direction Arsenal and Jinx headed as Aqualad took a water platform from the roof to the alley below.

"Nightwing," Aqualad yelled into his communicator, foregoing the fact Roy and his accomplice would be hearing, "Roy's headed your way with a woman. Blue Beetle is on his way. I will arrive their shortly."

Yanking the door to the car open and quickly getting in the seat, the team leader jammed the keys in the ignition and turned them. He was surprised when the car didn't start. He tried again and again, each time met with the same outcome when he noticed a note pinned beneath the wipers and opened the door to retrieve it.

"They fried the electrical system," he said irritably after reading it and crumpling it up.

"I fried the electrical system," Jinx said proudly to Arsenal as the two made their way back to the warehouse with Blue Beetle behind them.

The two thieves then shared a laugh.

Jump City – Warehouse District

October 31, 20:39 UTC

For the last several minutes, Nightwing and Starfire had searched the grounds of the large warehouses near the outskirts of Jump City. Five of the twenty warehouses were completely empty, their cargo having been picked up earlier in the day. Several others contained various electronic products with one being used as a front for a drug receiving and distribution center. Nightwing had marked that one for the local authorities to raid after he and Starfire finished their search.

The next three held groceries marked for shipment to food banks and took the masked vigilante a few minutes to convince his alien partner not to break into the boxes of mustard. Turns out she had developed a taste for the condiment during her stay at Watchtower. He had to promise her he would buy her a case of the stuff tomorrow.

It wasn't until they searched the final warehouse when the two heard a metallic tapping coming from deep inside the building. Given the layout of the stacks of crates, it was obvious the place was set up to resemble a maze complete with dead ends but somehow, the two managed to follow the noise without Starfire taking to the air, if only to maintain a somewhat level of stealth. After several minutes of navigating the maze, they entered an open area wide enough to park several eighteen wheelers in. Several crates sat scattered throughout the space with a forklift parked near five loading doors where trailers could be parked and loaded.

"Well, well, well," a muffled voice said from atop a large stack of wooden crates situated to resemble steps then leveled off. A shadowed individual sat at the top with a pistol spinning in their hand. "'Bout time you found us. I was beginning to wonder if you would ever show up, bird boy."

"Show yourself," Nightwing said, "And make it easy for everyone and just give up."

"Now where's the fun in that?" the hidden man asked. "Why don't we see who's the better of the two?"

"Trust me, you really don't want to do that." Reaching for his Escrima sticks, Nightwing leaned his head towards Starfire slightly. "On my mark," he whispered, "throw a Starbolt at him."

Giving him a wink, Starfire readied herself to do as was ordered when the thumping started up again. Looking behind them, the two team members saw another person walking along a high scaffold with a metal staff in hand. Every few feet, they would have it hit the handrail to make the noise, which caused them to investigate the warehouse in the first place.

As they came into view, moonlight from a wide window fell upon the person. Dressed mostly in black, the individual slowly strutted further into view and turned to face Nightwing and Starfire. Metal plated gloves tapped the metal handrail as he leaned on one arm with his weapon resting on one shoulder. What looked like the butt of a shotgun peaked just over his shoulder. Twin gauntlets covered his forearms and metal guards were situated on his shoulders, which were hidden underneath a ragged black cape. Steel plated boots and knee guards reflected the light, making it appear as if they were floating in place as a matching belt with silver pouches wrapped around his waist. A red 'X' was positioned in the middle of his belt buckle, a smaller version of the one carved into his white, skull faced mask. The crimson letter seemed to glow in the dark along with his white eyes. Red patterned lines added a small flourish to his costume with no sign of his skin showing whatsoever. The ensemble had him looking like the grim reaper.

"Well, isn't this cute," the skull faced man said. "Your old friend comes to visit and brings along a new partner. And a cute one at that."

"I know. I don't know if I should be jealous or happy for him." Holstering his gun, the hidden man stood up and slowly walked into the light as he made sure his black gloves were on tight. "At least he doesn't seem to be kissing up to the bat anymore."

"Maybe he's kissing another bat…or Orange Crush down there."

"Regardless, what do you say to getting this show on the road?" Reaching to his side, the hidden man flipped a switch on the wall and turned on the lights, giving the two team members their first good view of him.

Opening his brown, leather trench coat, the man was donned in black military boots and cargo pants. A belt holstered numerous clips of ammunition with a pistol strapped to each thigh. His gray armored vest held two more holstered guns near his waist and were within easy reach with their handles pointing outwards. His face was unfortunately hidden by a featureless red mask with only his white eyes breaking up the solid crimson color.

"I estimate we have around ten or fifteen minutes until Arsenal and Jinx lead the others back here," the red hooded man said to his partner. "That's five minutes for me to catch up with my old friend here."

"Or five minutes to kill," the skull face man replied.

"Old friend?" Nightwing asked. "What do you mean by old friend? Who are you?"

"Sorry, where are my manors? Allow me to introduce myself. The name's Red Hood and my flirtatious partner over there is Red X. X, that down there is Nightwing, formerly known as Robin, The Boy Wonder, not many people in our circles would know that. As for the girl, I suppose Orange Crush would be fine for now."

"Fine is right," Red X said. "Looking forward to this dance, cutie."

"Wait," Nightwing interrupted as he took a step forward. "What did you call me?"

"Oh, Robby," Red Hood taunted, "There's a lot we need to catch up on."

Drawing his two waist mounted guns, Red Hood opened fire on Nightwing and Starfire who never got the chance to throw one of her Starbolts at him. She took to the air as Nightwing dove for cover. Bullets chipped away at the concrete floor, leaving a trail behind The Team's second in command.

"Star?!" Nightwing yelled as he hid behind a crate. "Starfire, where are you?"

"You don't have time for her, bird boy. You got me to deal with." Reloading, Red Hood resumed his assault, not giving Nightwing a chance to move as the bullets began breaking through the crate he used for cover.

**AN: I just want to say, the 'X' in a shield I mentioned earlier was not a hint at Red X in anyway. It was just an idea I had in mind after talking to a DA buddy of mine.**


	28. Chapter 28

3.

Watchtower

October 31, 20:42 UTC

At this time of night, the Watchtower was mostly empty except for a few League members chosen for watch duty. Tonight was the Hawks turn to monitor for any emergencies requiring League members. Everything was quiet so far with only the usual going on down on the green and blue planet. Part of monitoring duty also pertained to keeping an eye on who checked into the orbiting base, which in this instance was Miss Martian.

**RECOGNIZE, MISS MARTIAN, B, ZERO, FIVE**

Making her way down the steps from the Zeta Tubes, M'gann waved towards the security camera, knowing full well her every move was being recorded by the Watchtower's security system. Her wave was seen by the Hawks who greeted her as she sought out her blood brother.

It didn't take long for her to find him in the common room with the lights off and TV on. From what she could see from the doorway, he was asleep with his head resting on his arm. On the other side of the large couch, she could see the top of Conner's head as it was tilted back. Apparently they had fallen asleep watching some show featuring a young girl asking a young man to join her due to a ring of hers he possessed.

Snores floated through the room, making her grin and giggle inwardly as she approached. What she saw next though made her stop whatever thoughts were going through her head as she came across dozens upon dozens of candy wrappers scattered on the floor. Looking back at the two sleeping team members, she saw her brother's hand in a large bag of candy while Conner had a lollipop stick poking out of his mouth. Narrowing her eyes, she used her telekinesis to gently lift the sofa a few inches into the air then drop it, waking the two from the sudden impact.

Garfield smacked his lips as he came to first; tasting the residue from the packages of Smarties he had eaten. He barely had time to open his eyes when he noticed his sister standing before the TV with her arms crossed and an irritated look on her face. Conner took a little longer to wake up as he stretched his arms and let out a groan from the way he fell asleep when he saw M'gann staring daggers at him.

"Conner?" Garfield carefully said.

"Yeah?" the clone of Superman found himself unable to look anywhere besides the angered Martian girl.

"You think if we don't move she won't see us?"

"This isn't Jurassic Park, Gar."

Mentally moving the coffee table holding their drinks and even more candy wrappers to the side, M'gann took a couple of steps closer. "You mind explaining yourself, Gar? I said no sweets or desserts for a month and you still had two days to go."

Swallowing a large lump in his throat, the green youth slowly moved his hand from the bag and pushed it toward the unknowing Conner. "Um, well…you see, uh…Conner did it."

"Gar," Conner shot back when he saw M'gann look directly at him.

"You went behind my back and gave him a bag of candy even though you knew he was being punished for what he did?" M'gann asked.

"Well, I, uh…" Rubbing the back of his neck, Conner wished his super hearing had caught her arriving in the Watchtower but after seeing a marathon of Garfield's show involving a teenager getting trapped in a pinball game, aliens using a toy factory as a cover to retrieve one of their own, and a comic book villain come to life resembling The Joker, he had finally nodded off into deep sleep.

"Conner, did you or did you not give Garfield a bag of candy after I punished him. A punishment you agreed upon since his actions also involved you?"

"Well, I-"

"Don't even try to lie to me."

Lowering his hand, Conner looked at Garfield for a moment then took the lollipop stick out of his mouth before looking back at his Martian girlfriend. "O…kay."

Standing from the couch, Conner took a step towards her then placed his hands on his hips. He was prepared to do something Clark, Barry, Wally, Dick, and Oliver had taught him when a woman demands to know the truth and there was no way out of telling her. Letting out a huff, he broke eye contact, and headed for the door.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" M'gann demanded.

"You said not to lie to you," he said bluntly. "So I'm not going to lie to you."

"Conner!"

"I'm seven, don't know any better." With that, Conner disappeared from view as he rounded the corner of the door with the sound of the Zeta Tubes activating soon after.

**RECOGNIZED, SUPERBOY, B, ZERO, FOUR **

Standing there dumbfounded, M'gann shook her head as she processed what he just did. "I…I can't believe he just did that." She then turned back to her blood brother. "So what have you got to say in your defense?"

Without uttering a word, Garfield morphed into a green chicken and hightailed it out of the room with a few panicked clucks and his wings attempting to lift him off the ground. He too vanished around the corner with the Zeta Tubes activating soon after.

**RECOGNIZED, BEAST BOY, B, NINETEEN**.

"Tuh, boys." She then levitated all the wrappers in the room and placed them in the corner trashcan and put the coffee table back. She then brought the bag of leftover candy to her and looked inside the nearly empty sack. "At least they left some Sweet Tarts."

Jump City

October 31, 20:57 UTC

"We can play this game all night long." After reloading yet again, Red Hood opened fire on Nightwing who was dodging the gunfire as best as he could.

Leap frogging over a set of metal barrels, the Bat trained ninja stayed one step ahead of the dozens of bullets flying behind him. Wood shattered in small explosions, sending splinters everywhere as the gun toting individual twirled an empty pistol before reloading it with the second firearm providing cover. The constant usage of the tactic provided no opening whatsoever for him to be open to attack.

"Come on, birdy! Stand still to get some more iron in your diet!"

"Stop shooting and I'll make you eat those words!" Nightwing yelled back as he took cover behind a steel support beam. He pulled out two Bird-a-rangs in preparedness to throw.

"If that's what you want," holstering his weapons, Red Hood stood with his arms outstretched to the sides, "then take your best shot."

Not wasting a second, Nightwing hurled his ranged weapons at his attacker. The first of which was designed to distract by being easily dodged with the second being the equivalent of a flash bomb. Both blue and black colored weapons zeroed in on their target who waited for the last moment to act.

Moving faster than Nightwing had seen anyone do, besides speedsters, Superman, and Batman, Red Hood grabbed the first Bird-a-rang out of midair and, in one fluid motion, threw it at its explosive brother. A bright yellow light erupted, causing Nightwing to look away for an instant so as not to be blinded. When he looked back, Red Hood was gone.

While the two were in the middle of their fight, Starfire was busy chasing after the one called Red X. She had flown up to the scaffold where he was but by the time she reached where he stood, he was already on the ground clear across the warehouse. She quickly made her way to where he was sitting on a crate, tapping his foot as if he had been waiting for her for hours.

"'Bout time you got here, Cutie," Red X said smoothly. "I was wondering if you were going to stay with your boyfriend back there."

"He can deal with the Red Hood on his own," Starfire replied as her eyes illuminated bright green.

"Good, that means I get you all to myself." Standing where he was, Red X placed his hands on his hips and stared at the Tamarian girl. "So, you wanna make this a slow dance?"

With a yell, Starfire flung a starbolt at the skull themed man who back flipped out of the way, landing on another crate and riding it down as it fell to the ground. Once it hit the floor, he dove forward and rolled to his feet. He didn't stand still for long as the orange skinned woman threw several more green orbs at him, filling the air with their bright color as she flew backwards to gain some distance between them.

Letting out a laugh, Red X moved from spot to spot as the orbs crashed into the floor. He was a blur of black and silver, never standing in the same spot for more than a second when he disappeared entirely. As Starfire continued to back up, she failed to notice her aggressor appear behind her until she bumped into him.

"I'm not one to hit girls so…" Taking her by the arm, Red X flipped her over his shoulder, sending her into a stack of crates where she crashed through the side of one. "I'm just going to find another way to beat you."

Firing a blast of energy from her eyes, Starfire flew into the air and charged her caped opponent. "You will not beat me!" She threw a punch only to have it sail through the air where Red X's head was as he disappeared again. As he reappeared, he immediately went into defensive mode to block every one of Starfire's punches. "You are the criminal, I am the heroine. I will defeat you and-"

Letting out a yipe, the orange girl's forearm was grabbed and twisted around Red X. It looked as if the two were dancing with the way he spun her around until he drew and pointed his shotgun at her. A loud crack reverberated through the warehouse when he pulled the trigger, only instead of firing a deadly projectile, the weapon fired a crimson tar-like substance and pinned Starfire to the wall behind her with her hands above her head. Holstering his gun, Red X held out his palms in front of him and fired two color matching 'X's' at her feet to pin them as well before rushing up to her and using a finger to raise her face to meet his, despite her being slightly taller than he was.

"You know, cutie," Red X said charmingly, "I'm not a bad as you think. And the only crime here is you and me haven't gone out on a da-AAGH!"

Flying backwards through the air, Red X landed hard on his back from being hit with Starfire's eye beams. She then turned her sights on the hardened goo covering her hands and feet to free herself as she floated away from the wall. She landed on the ground and bent down, picking up something she had managed to knock off…his mask.

Holding the garish face covering in her hands, Starfire looked it over before taking a few steps forward. "I will defeat you one piece at a time if I have (gasp)."

Getting to a knee, Red X had a hand covering his face as he let out a grunt. His eyes locked on the Tamarian as he slowly moved his hand away. He kept a close eye on her as they stood unmoving for a moment before he slowly made his way over to her.

"I believe this is mine, sweetheart." Taking his mask back, he stretched out the black fabric holding the hardened skull motif and slipped it back on. He enjoyed the sight of the girl's orange cheeks redden and flashed her a grin as he finished putting his mask back in place. Once in position, his eyes flashed red, startling her slightly.

"X!" Red Hood yelled as he ran across the catwalks. "Quit your flirting and say goodbye to your friend! It's time for us to go!"

"You heard the man, cutie. Gotta go." Taking a step forward, his skull mask came less than an inch from hers as he held up a crimson colored 'X'. "But here's something to remember me by." Handing it off to the girl, Red X took several steps back before disappearing. He appeared soon after on the catwalk above her and gave her a salute before dashing off behind red Hood.

After watching him go, Starfire looked down at the little red 'X' and smiled slightly. It quickly vanished when a five second timer activated and began to count down. With wide eyes and a yipe, she quickly threw the object away before it detonated, sending the contents of several crates raining down on her. When Nightwing caught up to her, he found her in a field of eviscerated teddy bears whose limbs were scattered across the floor.

"Star?" Nightwing yelled as he looked over the field of bear limbs. "Starfire, where are you?!"

Shaking off the stuffing and fake fur, Starfire's eyes flashed an angry shade of green as she let out a yell and floated into the air from where she lay. "Shefindorfer!" she yelled in her native tongue. "He tried to destroy me with an exploding X! He will pay for that!"

Reaching the end of the catwalk they were currently running on, Red Hood and Red X leapt off the end and reached out for the overhead rafters. Using them to swing forward, the two landed on another catwalk when the large drop down metal door in the back of the warehouse began to open. Moonlight filtered in with a shadow of someone's legs coming into view.

"About time you got here," Red Hood snapped. "Bring the car around and-"

"Sorry, _hermano_, Aqualad has the car." Taking off from the ground, Blue Beetle fired a blast from his sonic cannon as he flew around where the two stood. "I got my own transportation."

"X," Red Hood said. "Would you please?"

Without a word, Red X drew his collapsible quarter staff and leapt after the flying blue hero. Not able to fly himself, the skull faced criminal did glide pretty well. His open cape and glowing red eyes made him resemble the Grimm Reaper even more so, when he twisted the handle of his weapon and activated a green blade from the top of it.

"**Warning Jaime Reyes,"** the Scarab said to its host,** "diagnostic scan of his weapon suggests a mixture of science and magic. I advise you stay a-"**

As Blue Beetle swerved to avoid the incoming thief, he was struck with the green blade and let out a yell of pain. His armor instantly retracted into the Scarab as it too screeched in agony. As he fell to the ground, Red X fired a red ball at the falling teen and ensnared him in a hardening compound like the one used by the arrow group just before hitting the floor. Landing beside him, Red X deactivated his weapon, caused it to collapse, and holstered it back on his belt.

Red X shook his head and tisked several times. "And they call me the bad guy. Last time I checked, I never attempted to hand over the world on a silver platter."

"And neither did he." Drawing the black garbed thief's attention, Aqualad swung his water bearers in an overhead motion, snaring his arms and sending an electrical shock through them. The result was Red X being knocked unconscious and falling to the floor with a thud.

"Aqualad?" Nightwing said as he and Starfire arrived at the front of the building when he saw his immobile teammate nearby. "Blue!"

"Oh enough of this." Drawing one of his torso mounted guns, Red Hood quickly fired off a round in one swipe then holstered his weapon again. The motion was so quick; it was hard to even notice it at all.

Before anyone could react, the bullet shot downward and struck Aqualad in the throat. He fell to the ground as he clutched his neck and his eyes bulged. Nightwing was the first to rush to his side and check on his injured partner as he yelled his name. Starfire bombarded the catwalk Red Hood was on with dozens of green orbs, bringing down a large part of the scaffolding and creating a large hole in the roof while Jaime lay helpless a few feet from them.


	29. Chapter 29

4.

Jump City

October 31, 21:17 UTC

"Kaldur!" Nightwing yelled as he tried to see the severity of the wound. He prayed the bullet passed through and wasn't lodged in any of the bones making up his neck. Managing to move his longtime friend's hands to the side, he saw a rather large bruise and welt forming where he had just been hit.

"R…rubber…bullet," Aqualad manages to get out. Is voice was extremely horse and cracked.

"You can thank me later!" Red Hood yelled from his position when a loud roar of a large vehicle erupted.

Taking the group off guard, a large, bulky vehicle shot into the warehouse, knocking one of the large loading doors clear off its mounts and screeched to a stop. Four Hoosier race tires faced the group with four super swampers situated on the back end, making eight in all. Its overall body resembled a tank with two narrow, eye-like windshields tinted completely black. Twin back end stop flaps sat on its top with what looked like a large jet engine poking out of its rear. No rivets could be seen in the smooth armor plating with areas slightly lifted to allow for lights. All in all, the thing looked pretty much unstoppable.

"You two wanna get in now?" Arsenal's voice sounded though an intercom system. "Or do you want us to leave your sorry rears behind?"

Not paying attention to him, Red X kicked the legs out from under Starfire before kipping up to his feet. He then kicked Nightwing in the face and leapt to the top of the vehicle. Red Hood flipped off what was left of the catwalk and landed near the downed Aqualad.

"Just be glad you never got on my bad side," Red Hood said as he joined his partner.

The top portion of the uber-vehicle rose slightly then slid forward, allowing the two to get inside. Before closing, Jinx stood up in her seat and flung an arc of purple energy at a nearby fusebox, causing the lights in the warehouse to shut off with the ltra bright lights of the vehicle activating. The light was bright enough to blind the team temporarily as the vehicle backed up out of the building.

"And just so you don't think we stole this thing for ourselves," Arsenal called as he held the case above him. "Never say we didn't do anything for you!"

Tossing the case away, Arsenal dropped back down into the vehicle as it closed its roof and sped away. The case landed before the group of heroes open with several vials of chemicals inside. All were purple in color, different from their once bright peach coloring when they were of some use but were now useless to anyone, with a note attached to one of them reading:

_Hero, anti-hero, villain, anti-villain, we get the job done. See you later, Bird Brain._

_Regards,_

_Red Hood and the Outlaws_

Watching the vehicle fade from view, Nightwing crushed the note. Two thoughts were going through his head at the moment, he needed to find out who this Red Hood was and how he knows he was once Robin, and he really needed his own version of the Batmobile.

Inside the tank-like vehicle, the four thieves let out a few hoots and hollers as they reveled in the aftermath of a successful mission. Jinx slouched down in her seat with her feet propped up on the dash while Arsenal drove down Jump City's empty back roads before going off road into the desert. Red X was typing something into a wrist computer and Red Hood made sure his weapons were loaded in case they needed to show the hero group why they shouldn't be followed.

"So, Roy," Jinx said from the passenger seat. "Had fun seeing your old pals again?"

"They're not old pals," Roy answered bitterly. "I told you, they would rather play with a clone than look for the real one."

"Let it go, stumpy. It was just a question."

"Lousy question, and what have I told you about calling me stumpy?"

"Would you rather I call you Nubs?

"Bite me."

"I would but you might taste bad."

"Drop it," Red Hood ordered from the back seat. "We still have work to do."

Beside the group's leader, Red X finished what he was doing on his wrist computer then nudged Red Hood with his elbow. He then tapped the right side of his helmet before going back to his computer. Taking the suggestion, Red Hood pressed a button on his mask, linking him to red X as a video began playing before his eyes inside his helmet. It showed the two new team members, Blue Beetle and Starfire. Both their faces were displayed to the left of the screen with footage of how they fought. Next to it was scrolling lines of information with documentation on the fight. It showed a weakness could not be found to get around the orange girl's defenses but the Scarab of Blue Beetle was shut down temporarily by X's magic infused energy sickle.

"Good job, X," Red Hood commented. "The more we know, the better we can handle the babies."

"Hey, why do you want Nightwing so bad?" Jinx asked as she turned around to face her leader.

Images of an exploding warehouse flashed before Red Hood's eyes as well as the sight of reaching out for Batman and a younger Nightwing for help, only to see them fleeing the scene as the cops arrived. Reaching up, he unclipped two clasps on the sides of his helmet and took off his crimson mask. Black, sweat covered hair was swept back as he opened a pair of brown eyes. A few scars were on his face with a deep one stretching from his right nostril down across his lips.

"Let's just say he owes me a life. And I intend on getting it back."

Batcave

October 31, 23:53 UTC

Underneath the large mansion of billionaire Bruce Wayne, a long winding staircase carved from stone spiraled down around a large stone cylinder, which housed an elevator. Its doors were open as Nightwing had arrived there close to an hour ago and immediately went to work at the Batcomputer. He quickly made a report at Watchtower before Koriand'r or Jaime could do so while Kaldur was looked over for the large bruise he sustained from the rubber bullet he was struck with. Leaving Koriand'r at the orbiting space base, Dick hurried to the Zeta Tubes to arrive in Gotham to get to work on what exactly the vehicle Red Hood and his gang were driving.

Looking up at the large five by seven foot screen, Dick cycled through images of any militaryesque vehicles he could find. It wasn't until he stumbled upon a prototype military 'jumper' when he found what he was looking for. His eyes then grew wide at what exactly he was dealing with and couldn't believe the specs on what he had just seen.

"The Tumbler," he said as his eyes ran back and forth from reading the screen. "Heavily armored bridging vehicle, capable of leaping across rivers and chasms to lay down cables for bridges and assist troops on the front lines. Latest in state of the art weaponry consists of four mounted Gatling guns hidden beneath fall away panels and a rocket launcher. Cloaking ability. Top speed of…three hundred miles an hour?! Un-clocked when using its onboard jet engine?! This things a tank on steroids!"

Further reading revealed a military base being broken into a few months back. No clues were left by the perpetrators except fried electrical systems, sliced metal doors, hacked computer systems, and a note reading, 'Thank God it's an automatic". The original stolen Tumbler was painted in green camouflage and was more streamlined, meaning the one he saw earlier was heavily modified and painted in black.

"I definitely need to get me a car."

"Yeah, chicks dig the car," a familiar voice said from behind him.

Spinning around in his seat and jumping to his feet, Dick, who was still in his Nightwing gear sans mask, grabbed a Bird-a-rang and readied it to throw. "Batcave, protocol one, activate now!"

Instantly, the cave went on lock down. Thick metal doors slid over the openings leading to the cave's entrance, hanger, and mansion. The Batplane was locked away in an alcove nearby with the Batcomputer shutting down and the costume and weapons vault locking up tight. The usual blue/white lighting illuminating the cave changed to a yellow emergency lighting as a voice, Alfred's, sounded over the intercom system warning for the intruder to give himself up immediately.

"Override code, five three four three point four two eight." Instantly, the emergency protocol Dick activated shut down and returned the cave to normal as a bright light turned on where the Batmobile would be parked if Batman wasn't using it at the moment. Underneath the light stood Red Hood with his trench coat open and hands resting casually on his belt.

"Wha…what are you doing here?" Dick asked as he gripped tighter to his throwing weapon.

Red Hood stood still and did not utter a word.

"Last time, what are you doing here and how do you know our codes to the cave?"

Still, Red Hood chose to not respond, prompting Dick to throw his black and blue projectile at the intruder. Before it was half way to him, Red Hood drew a firearm and shot the spinning weapon out of the air, then holstered his gun like a cowboy from a movie.

"Dick, Dick, Dick," Red Hood said calmly. "You were always quick on the draw and have gotten faster I see. Too bad for you I've gotten better as well."

Surprised the intruder knew his real name, he grabbed several more Bird-a-rangs and flung them through the air before he reached for his Eskirma sticks and charging forward. Each areal projectile was shot down with such precision, they were split in half and clanged once they fell on the ground. With his pistols in their housing's, Red Hood went on the defensive and blocked each of Dick's attacks.

"Got to hand it to you. You have indeed gotten better." The masked man landed a kick to the team member's stomach. "But me? I know your moves. I know how you think. I even know who's behind the pointed eared cowls running around Gotham tonight and how to make the cave do this. Cave Protocol, key to my voice pattern, six three eight, activate now!"

Without warning, the cave instantly went dark. Blinding darkness enveloped the two as they were forced to stop fighting. Without his domino mask, Dick was helpless as it had a night vision feature. Red Hood wasn't as helpless as Dick was as his helmet's vision sensors automatically turned on his night vision filter.

Everything Red Hood saw was a dull lime green color thanks to his mask. He slowly and methodically paced around the maskless Nightwing. The young hero struck out with his batons, coming close to striking the cave's intruder from time to time as he switched to using his hearing to find his quarry, a skill Batman taught him should something like this happen.

Seeing his blind victim take strategic strikes towards any sound he made, Red Hood removed his coat. He tossed the garment over Nightwing's head, forcing him to flinch at the mysterious covering a moment before a fist connected with his face.

"Come, Dick," Red Hood taunted. "Try harder."

Nightwing took a flying kick where Red Hood's voice was.

"You missed, try harder."

Another kick sailed through the air but missed.

"Harder."

A Bird-a-rang was thrown.

"Harder."

Twin strikes with the Eskirma sticks impacted into the ground.

"Harder!"

Letting out a roar, Dick began to take even harder swings with his weapons where his foe's voice came from. Each one was a miss with the only thing being struck was the air. Red Hood let out a low, predatory laugh as he continued to circle his prey. He was so caught up in the sight before him, he neglected to keep his eyes on Dick's hands as they moved to the side of his belt. Pressing two buttons on a side-mounted device on his belt, the Bird-a-rang he threw earlier activated and dislodged itself from the wall it was embedded in. It took a direct line of flight to the bio-signature of the intruder, ignoring Dick entirely. Before it could be detected by either men, the blunted object impacted into the head of the red headed villain.

"Oh, ho, ho, Dickie boy," Red Hood said as he recovered from the hit, "that was a surprise. Good to know you've gotten some new tricks since I last saw you."

"Again, what do you mean by that? Who are you?!" Still blinded, Dick holstered one of his hand-held weapons and drew another Bird-a-rang. "And how do you know my name and about the cave's security?"

"Computer, cancel last command!" As the lights came on, Red Hood's visual sensors adjusted to the sudden illumination as Dick was blinded from the sudden change.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Red Hood landed a swift kick to Dick's head, sending him to the floor with a thud. Letting out a groan, the downed hero rolled onto is back and spit up a small amount of blood. His opponent's heavy boots thudded around him as he tried to recover. He was a fish being stalked by a shark without a clue as to when the next hit would come when another thud landed next to him.

"Now we know who the better fighter is," Red Hood said as he ruffled his jet black hair. "We can now get on with the real reason I'm here."

Turning around, the man known as Red Hood showed the fallen Nightwing his un-obscured face. It was a sight that shook him to core as he laid eyes on someone who should be long dead. The hair was different, shorter with the bangs swept back from sweat. His face now had a scar running from his nostril to his lip and one of his eyes was a different color than the other, making Dick wonder if it were damaged in some way.

"Ja…Jason?" Dick muttered.

"No, not anymore. I'm The Red Hood now. And this…this is for you." With his arms stretched out, Red Hood slowly spun around as he shouted, "Welcome, to the trial of Dick Grayson!"

It wasn't long until darkness surrounded Dick as he slipped into unconsciousness.


	30. Chapter 30

**AN: Sorry for the delay, I usually have the new chaps up by 10am my time but I went out to get new art supplies and such. So without further adieu...**

5.

Gotham City

November 01, 00:59 UTC

"One of these days, I will sink my claws deeper into you, Bats. And on that day, you will never be able to get them out." Strutting along the edge of a building, Catwoman swayed her hips to and fro, knowing The Dark Knight would have his eyes glued to her as she made her way along the ledge, her black leather suit reflecting the moonlight around every curve.

"Or you could finally give up your favorite pastime, Selena" Batman said as he looked down at the Gotham City Mint's hacked security panel. It was obvious she meant for it to go off as it was nowhere near her level of work.

"And where would the fun be in that?" Catwoman called out as she moved her goggles resting on the top of her head and covered her eyes with them. Her cat eared cowl allowed her face to show clearly with just a hint of her ebony hair peeking out over her forehead. "Admit it, you like chasing me just as much as I like you catching me. Where would we be if it were any different?"

"I'd like to think you would be living a normal life and working a nine to five job while I continue cleaning up Gotham."

"You mean you'll be a trash collector? Won't the bat ears and cape make you look ridiculous in an orange jumpsuit?" Reaching for her whip, Catwoman used it to snag part of a crane's neck and turned back to Batman. "On the other hand, this way you have an excuse to not keep your hands off of me," she winked at him, "and vice versa."

With a light hearted laugh, the cat burglar extraordinaire swung away to the building across the way. Once she landed, she turned back to Batman and blew him a kiss with a wink before taking off and disappearing into the night, ending their hour long 'discussion'.

The normal stone faced expression Batman was known for was still in place as if nothing happened or he had no emotions whatsoever. Only when he was without the cape and cowl would he appear to smile, fear, or sadden, while it was on was a different story. Had anyone been looking extremely close at him, closer than Superman's microscopic vision was capable of, they would have seen a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. It was normal for him and the semi-reformed thief to run into each other to shoot the breeze and 'flirt' from time to time as Robin, Batgirl, and Nightwing had put it several hundred times when they caught the two standing side by side.

Letting out a breath of air, Batman turned and headed for the spot he parked his Batmobile at. Once there, he would contact Commissioner Gordon on what he found and inform him on the damaged security panel on the roof when a beeping within his cowl sounded. Pressing two fingers to the side of his head to hear better, an electronic voice alerted him to a Priority Zero. His eyes instantly went wide at the news as a Priority Zero meant the cave has been infiltrated and at least one of his team members is in there and in trouble. Taking off in a sprint, Batman leapt off the building and glided down towards the street. Once he was in position, he dropped his cape and landed in his vehicle then took off with the jet engine firing up to give him an added boost down the street. Time was of the essence and he was determined to make sure whoever broke into the cave would pay severely.

Batcave

November 01, 01:16 UTC

Pounding. That was what Dick's head was doing right now. His eyes were blurred and slowly spinning whatever was seen around him. The side of his cheek felt cool, evidence he drooled when he was unconscious. He tried to run a hand over his face, only to discover his arms were tied behind him and refused to move. His legs were in the same predicament, tied to a pair of chair legs and refusing to give him an inch of movement as his bonds tightened with every attempted effort.

"Jason?" Dick called, only to be met with the echo of his voice. "Jason!"

"Red Hood," Jason Todd responded from behind the prone hero.

"How…how are you alive? Bruce and I-"

"Not another word. The trial hasn't begun yet."

Dragging the chair around, Jason had his former partner face a line of old costumes worn by Batman, the past Robins, and Batgirl herself. There was even an old patched up costume of Dick's present. A table sat before the gallery of costumes with the red mask Jason had on earlier. Various weapons the bat family used sat haphazardly beside the mask as well as one of the guns Jason used earlier and what looked like a pile of papers.

"I give you your jury," Jason said as he swept his arm towards the costumes then made his way to the table and pointed at the weapons and the papers. "The evidence. And the testimony."

Walking back to where Dick sat, Jason leaned down and placed his clinched fists on the hero's thighs. "And me, I'm your judge, foreman, attorney, executioner, and the person who writes everything down via shorthand. You are hereby charged with the crime of betrayal. Betrayal of your friend. Betrayal of your partner. Betrayal of your brother. And the abandonment of the only person who needed and depended on you the most in his time of need."

"Jason, please-" Cutting Dick's plea off was a fist to his gut.

"Shut it." Leaving the winded young man behind, Jason took his place behind the table where he took a seat in the Batcomputer's chair.

"Ja…Jason."

"I said quiet! Or would you like to be held in contempt of court?" Seeing his old friend not say a word, he continued. "The trial of Dick Grayson will now commence. Our first order would be to review the crime in question. On May thirteenth of two thousand fourteen, during a routine bust on Two Face's hideout at the Gotham City docks, you and Bruce Wayne, AKA Batman, fled the hideout at the notice of a timer counting down. Instead of alerting me to get out with you two, you chose to flee by yourself. You left me to die while Batman took his favorite son and saved him!"

"What are you talking about?! We tried to warn you but-"

"But you went and saved Two Face and his henchmen."

"No, you wouldn't listen to me to get out. You decided to go after what he stole and we had no choice but to get Harvey and his crew out before they died. We tried to go back in for you when the bomb detonated. You even got rid of your communicator preventing us from warning you!"

"Because you only wanted to hold me back!" Jason slammed his hands on the table for emphasis. "Bruce always chose you over me. He let you be on the black ops team, he represented you to be in The League. He did everything for you and barely anything for me!"

"Barely anything?" Dick shouted. "He took you in after he found you stealing and starving on the streets. He trained you to take over my position should something happen to me or I leave."

"Then how do you explain this?" Holding up a sheet of paper, Jason showed Dick a line graph with red and blue lines. "Bruce kept reports of our progress. It them, he continuously compared me to you like, 'Jason's acrobatic skills are good enough but not on the same level of Dick's. His accuracy with various ranged weapons are not on par with Dick's. Jason is not suitable for a place on the black ops team and may never be.'"

"Then obviously you weren't seeing the point he was trying to make."

Turning to the costumes, Jason leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed. "Jury? What say you to this?" He then turned back to face Dick after a few moments. "Nothing. They absolutely have nothing to say. Maybe it's because they know as well as I do Bruce's point this entire time was to make sure you were always better than me."

"Jason, listen to yourself. You're talking to a bunch of costumes. You're trying to compare the years I had before even meeting Bruce with what you could do. He wasn't trying to compare you to me, he was always trying to get you as best as you could get and used me as an example of how he was teaching you. He would always ask me if he were doing anything wrong with how you were progressing. Since you were part of this team, he's brought in Tim and uses the same techniques in training him. He tried to teach you to not only survive, but to carry on for him when he can't anymore."

Slamming the butt of his gun down several times, Jason forced Dick to silence then threw his gun on the table. "All I hear from you is excuses. Excuses and lies to perpetuate the belief I actually mattered in the long run when in fact, you two were just waiting to get rid of me the first chance you got and the proof is all here. Papers full of documents detailing how I never measured up to you, weapons only you were privy in using while I got the leftover hand-me-downs."

"You were never in competition with me," Dick pleaded. "You got that in your head and for some reason, I can't understand, you've decided to take it all out on me. I only wanted what Bruce wanted, for you to be the best you could in case one of us couldn't continue doing what we're doing."

Standing from his seat, Jason stomped over to Dick. "The best I could be? The best I could be? All this time, you were holding me back by keeping Bruce to yourself. I could never be the best I could be with you stealing all his time. It's because of that, I had to prove myself every time we went on patrol. It's because of that, I went further into Two Face's base and-"

"And nearly died due to your jealousy."

Backing up, Jason looked away for a moment as if thinking over what Dick said then shook his head. "No. I nearly died because I was never trained properly because of you. And now…I'm ready to pass judgment."

Reaching for the gun lying on the table, Jason cocked it and took it off safety. "As foreman of the jury, I hereby find the defendant, Richard 'Dick' Grayson guilty on all charges. The penalty to be carried out," Grabbing his mask, Jason snapped it back on and looked down at the helpless man before him, "is death."

Grabbing the back of the chair, Red Hood roughly drug it backwards to the large open area reserved for the Batmobile as Dick pleaded with him. Twirling his gun in his hand, the red headed armed man positioned the chair to face the Batcomputer so the security camera over it could record everything clearly. He then sauntered in front of his victim and pistol whipped him across the face before aiming the barrel at his head.

"For taking my chance to be something more than a worthless street rat, for taking away the only good thing I had in my life, and for always, always making me out to look like the weakest link in our so-called family chain."

Pulling the hammer back, Red Hood waited for the bloodied Dick Grayson to look up at him. His finger tightened on the trigger with his leather gloves making a familiar squeezing sound. "I really didn't want it to end like this."

Breaking the silence, a large metal door opened up several hundred feet from where the two were. The sound of a waterfall echoed throughout the cave as well as the sound of a very large and aggressive vehicle. Exploding from the water was the Batmobile as it landed on the manmade pathway to where it parked. Coming to a screeching halt, the black vehicle's top popped up slightly and slid forward, letting the driver out as its headlights remained on and brightly lit up the two.

"Dick!" Batman yelled as he drew a Bat-a-rang from his belt.

"Hold it right there!" Red Hood shouted. Turning Dick around to face Batman, Red Hood used the prone man as a shield with his gun pressed against his head. "Do as I say and your princess goes unharmed. Now…lower the weapon and toss your belt aside."

Batman narrowed his eyes at the intruder but refused to lower his throwing weapon until he saw the gun's barrel pushed into Dick's temple. No sooner had it fell to the ground when he moved to unbuckle his utility belt. The heavy leather carry-all was held away from his body and dropped beside the Bat-a-rang.

"Now the gloves," Red Hood ordered. "I know you, Bats. Always have something up your sleeve."

With his face never changing, Batman slowly unfastened the small clips around his wrists and took his gloves off. They too were dropped beside the belt and weapon.

"Good, good. Now, as I was saying before being so rudely interrupted, the sentence for Dickie boy here is death. But you deserve to know the reason he's being executed. After all…we were a family."

Seeing Batman's gaze never faulter, Dick spit a glob of blood on the ground and looked at his mentor. "Bruce…he…he knows who we are. It's…it's Jason. Jason Todd."

If there were any news that could make the Batman flinch, that was it.

Being careful not to expose himself any more than he should, Red Hood once again took his helmet off and smiled at his former mentor with wild eyes. "Hiya, Bruce. Long time, no see."

"Jason?" Not believing his eyes, Batman's face looked as it had paled whiter than Wolf's fur. Standing, not even fifteen feet from him was Jason Todd, the former Robin who had died in action. "Jason…I-"

"Rule number one of death, Bruce, if there's no body, the person is not dead. And if a body is found, the person may still not be dead. You left me to die there!"

Batman didn't say a single word.

"Did you hear me?! You left me to die while you and Dick ran away as the cops showed up. You would rather keep this…this…aura of mystery about you instead of taking care of those who need you!"

"Jason," Batman said.

"Shut up! You never trained me like you trained Dick! You never saw me as you see him! You never once told me I was great or did a good job, it was always how my missions were adequate or acceptable. You never trained me to be like you but Dick was a different story!"

"Jason-"

"Take the cowl off."

"Jason, listen to me-"

"Take the cowl off!"

Lowering his eyes, Batman exhaled and bowed his head. Placing three fingers on the upper part of his open mouth area, he pulled upwards. Detaching from his neck piece, the pointed eared mask came off to reveal the face of Bruce Wayne as his gaze never left his former Robin. "Jason, put the gun down."

"No can do, Bruce. This gun doesn't lower until I get what I want. And what I want isn't cheap. I want to know why you left me behind. Why did you leave me underneath that burning rubble and not at least look for me? I want to know why I was never good enough for you. Why?!"

Instead of keeping his tried and true Batman persona on, instead of speaking in a gravelly voice, instead of issuing an order or keeping the usual glare on his face, Bruce's eyes softened as he swallowed hard. Batman had ceased to exist, fading away as Bruce Wayne took his place. "Jason…honestly…you're right."

Both Dick and Jason were surprised at what Bruce had just said.

"You were right. I never trained you to become what I am, the Batman. I never wanted you to become like me. I never wanted Dick to become like me. I trained you to become Robin. I trained you to stay alive and come back home regardless of the situation. I never wanted any of you to become like me. I trained Dick to take my place when the day comes I can't carry on anymore, not as the Batman, but a Batman. I trained you to become Robin when he moves on. He was to train you to take his place and so on. You…you were to train another to become Robin when the time came."

Looking down momentarily, Jason shook his head slightly. "No. You always saw Dick as the favorite. That's why you left me behind."

"Dick was never the favorite. Both of you were treated equally."

"Liar! You never saw me on the same level as him! He was great, I was adequate! Those were your own words!"

"That's because he started at an earlier age than you. When I found you, you were stealing from mob bosses. You were going to get killed if you didn't change. I tried to help you the best I could. Dick tried to help you the best he could. You two were like brothers, always learning from each other. That's why I felt it was only right for him to handle some of your training. The reason I kept progress of your skills was not to hinder but to give you a reason to get better and surpass even me. That's what I want from both of you and all who come after."

"So what are you saying, Bruce? You wanted me to improve so you made me feel like a failure? Oh, that's some real messed up psychology babble, don't you think?"

Lowering his hands, Bruce, who resembled just another man, showed concern on his face. The years of fighting the criminals of Gotham and the world seemed to age him drastically in the moment it took for his arms to fall to his sides. "If I made you feel that way, then I failed. I failed as a mentor, a partner, a friend, and as something much, much more, something you boys needed more than anything. I…I'm sorry. I should have been better. I should have been what you needed most instead of what I thought you wanted. I'm sorry, Jason."

"We both are," said Dick. "I should have been a better friend. It's just…I saw a chance to become separated from Batman and become my own person that I didn't see what I should have done. I am at fault and I apologize for that."

Looking at the man, and not the vigilante, before him, Jason stared straight into his eyes as he continued to hold the gun against Dick's temple. His eyes waivered for an instant as a single tear ran down his cheek.

"Sorry? You're sorry?" Releasing the hammer, Jason lowered his weapon and backed away slowly. "And that right there…is what saves Dick's life."

Looking down at his weapon, Jason sighed then laid it on the table behind him. He ran a hand through his hair as he halfway sat on the stand and didn't move a muscle. With slow, deliberate movements, Bruce made his way over to the chair to set Dick free.

"Tell me," Jason said. "Do you still keep the extra Bat-a-Rang in your right boot?"

As if to answer him, Bruce took out a Bat-a-rang from a hidden compartment on the side of the indicated boot and cut Dick free.

"Yeah, figures."

Rubbing his wrists and Jaw, Dick looked the resurrected Robin over. "Jace…I'm sorry."

"I know. I just had to hear it coming from Richard and Bruce instead of Batman and Nightwing. I'm sorry too. For taking you hostage. Or acting like I was going to kill you."

"Acting?"

Grabbing the gun, Jason pulled the trigger a few times with nothing happening except for the clicking of an empty gun. "Took the bullets out of the mag before coming here. Just wanted to make you feel as if I was really going insane with what happened."

"Jason, I mean what I said," Bruce told him. "Every word."

"I know you did, Bruce. Like I said, I just wanted…needed to hear those words from the man, not the bat. Thank you."

"So, where does this leave us?" Dick asked.

Reaching down to grab his mask, Jason rolled it in his hands to look into its eye sockets.

"Jason," Bruce said. "You can always come back with us. This was not all on you. I was at fault as well."

"No, Bruce. I can't come back to your family. There's no place for me here anymore. Besides, I have my own group. And while we may be criminals, we also throw a wrench in the works of the bad guys every now and then. Plus," opening the crimson head covering, Jason donned his mask once again, "how the world would be without Jason Todd?"

Getting up from the table, Red Hood took one last look around the cave. "I miss this place though. And I'm actually kind of sorry for this."

"For what?" Dick asked.

A flash of light exploded around them as a thick cloud of smoke enveloped them. Dick chocked on the sudden detonation but Bruce only grinned, something he couldn't help doing knowing what Jason had just done. He couldn't help but feel proud when the smoke cleared and the former Robin was gone, leaving behind a single folded up paper on the table.

"He has learned," Bruce said as he picked up the paper and read it.

_Don't worry, your secrets and identities are safe. I never told the others who you are and never will. If you ever need me, I'm sure Bruce can find a clue or two from the gun._

_Once a bat, always a bat,_

_Red Hood_


	31. Part 7: Self Discipline - Chapter 31

Part 7: Self Discipline

1.

Iceberg Lounge

November 18, 22:12 UTC

"Tell me again," Robin said. "How exactly did we end up like this again?"

Hanging upside down above a large pool of water, Robin tried in vain to free himself from the tightly wrapped rope around him. His wrists were bound together with plastic restraints along with his feet. Behind him was Wonder Girl who was in a similar predicament only with her mystical lasso of truth binding her.

"I don't know," Wonder Girl answered as she fought to find a way out of her own rope and hoping Wonder Woman would never find out about this. "Maybe it's due to one of us always concentrating on a mission when they're supposed to be out on a date?"

"Again, the date was a cover for the mission, Miss 'What's this? La'gaan's cousins?' Seriously, it was caviar, caviar!"

"It was disgusting!"

"It's a delicacy!"

"Still disgusting! I mean, why would anyone eat eggs?"

"You eat chicken eggs for breakfast!"

"But those are cooked and from a chicken. These were raw and from a fish. You're eating baby fishies! Unborn baby fishies!"

"You eat undeveloped chicken fetuses! It's not that much of a difference!"

"It's a big difference 'cause they're cooked with butter, salt, and pepper with ketchup on top! Not to mention, normal people eat them!"

"Who eats ketchup on eggs?!"

"I do! I like ketchup on my eggs and I like ketchup on my hotdogs!"

"Ketchup doesn't go on hotdogs, mustard goes on hot…how did we get to talking about hotdogs?!"

"Shut up!" Looking up at the two arguing teens, Oswald Cobblepot, also known as The Penguin in criminal circles, rubbed his head from a headache caused by his two captives. "Miscreants, the both of you. I will make this short and simple for you two to understand, trouble makers in my club will be dealt with and severely punished. Now I don't know how two prepubescents gained access in here, but I know how you will be leaving, through the digestive tract of my little pet here. Guards, is the water warmed up yet?"

"Yes sir," one of the many guards answered.

"Then release the Guppy for me, will you please?"

"Right away, Boss." Pulling out a remote, the henchman flipped a red switch and pressed a red button on it. The result was to activate a steal door under the large open water area as well as make the large chain holding the two captives lower slowly into the water.

"If there is anything you need to say to each other before your untimely demise, I suggest you say it now." With a smug smile, Penguin took his leave back to his main office as his henchmen stayed behind to watch the show.

"Crap, there goes my head band." Looking below her, Wonder Girl saw her hair accessory land in the water with a splash. A moment afterwards, a large Great White Shark leapt out of the water and swallowed the headband. "HOLY CRAP!"

"How did we ever get into this?" Robin asked again as he shook his head.

Wayne Manor

November 11, 12:01 UTC

Sitting in the dining hall of the luxurious Wayne Manor, Tim Drake and Alfred Pennyworth carefully watched as the blonde demi-Amazon looked over her place at the table. Before her lay a wide selection of silver utensils, which sat on pure white doilies beside a bowl of soup. This was her test the two males had given her, a test that would determine if the last few days of near insanity would pay off for them. So far she had trained non-stop just to get up to this point and fortunately was not given a time limit, even though the dish had been sitting there for the last seventeen minutes.

Taking a deep breath, the blonde carefully moved her hand over a selection of spoons while rubbing her fingers together. She slowly made her way to her selection with the eyes of Alfred and Tim practically bulging out to see what she would select. After what seemed like an eternity, Cassie's fingers laid on the handle of her choice before picking it up.

"This one?" she asked with a hopeful look as she sank her head between her shoulders.

A loud slam exploded from next to her as Tim slammed his head on the table. Alfred let out a sigh as he shook his head. "Miss Sandsmark, that would be the teaspoon, not the soup spoon."

"Nagh! I'll never get this!" Tossing the spoon back on the table, Cassie sank into her chair and let out a disgruntled sigh.

"Try it again," Tim told her. "We'll let you study the spoon again for a few minutes then start over."

"No, no starting over. A spoon's a spoon. I have been wearing dresses, crossing my legs higher up than I'm comfortable with, having all kinds of makeup plastered on me, having my hair pulled in every conceivable direction for every hairdo known to mankind, and I even had to walk with a stupid book on my head in heels! Enough! You even had me pronunciate my every word!"

"Enunciate, Cass," Tim told her. "It's enunciate."

"Whatever!" She then grabbed another spoon and scooped some of her soup in her mouth. "And to top it off, the soup's not even warm! It's cold!"

"That's because it's vichyssoise, Madam Sandsmark," Alfred informed her. "It's supposed to be cold."

"Oh…it's ever so delicious." A wide smile plastered her face at her words. "But can you please nuke it for me?"

"At once, young lady," Alfred said with a chuckle before taking the bowl to warm up.

"Alright," Tim sighed. "Let's try again with a new set. The Iceberg Lounge changes its menu nightly but always has a soup with several spoons for your use."

"Tim, four different spoons is a bit too much. Who cares what spoon I use as long as I use one and don't drink straight from the bowl?" Slouching in her seat, Cassie crossed her arms and her legs in anger.

"Why are you so angry all of a sudden?"

"Because I'm starting to get the feeling you're trying to make me into something I'm not. Give me a spoon, fork, and knife, and I'm good to go."

"Cass, I'm not trying to make you into anything different. I like you just the way you are, but we need to come across as an upper-class couple to make this work. If we slip, we could get thrown out."

"Why?"

"Because Oswald, or Penguin, only allows the highest of society into his club, and certain high rolling criminals. If you come across as anything less than perfection, you get the boot."

"Then why not send in M'gann and Dick?" She asked. "He knows what he's doing and she's psychic. Or how about Zatanna and-"

"Because Zatanna is a League member, this is a black ops mission," Tim described. "M'gann is backup since they have ways of detecting psychic transmissions in the club, and Dick is taking care of something with Blue Beetle and La'gaan. We're the best choice for this mission. Now, when Alfred gets back, I need you to concentrate on getting this right. We're going to be the only ones in there so we need to make this go as smooth as possible. The faster we determine if Penguin has any connections to The Light or Luther, the faster we can get out."

Twirling a strand of hair around a finger, like she did when she was thinking hard, Cassie narrowed her eyes as an idea came to her. "Okay, now hear me out on this. What if I sneak my own soup spoon in? I know what forks are for what and the different types of knifes. I can smuggle in a soup spoon and-"

"Cass, that won't work. They use custom silverware they make in house that can't be duplicated or stolen because of tracers in them. This is the only way. Now, besides the spoon thing, how are the lessons with the others going?"

Standing up, Cassie moved to the side of the table in her usual tomboyish style of walking. With her hands to the sides, she straightened her back and lifted her head up. She then began to walk in a very sophisticated manner from one side of the room to the other. If it weren't for her tennis shoes tapping the flooring, Tim would have sworn she were gliding over the wooden surface beneath her. She stopped once she returned to her seat and acted as if she were wearing a dress as she sat down with her hands in her lap.

"Hairstyle has been picked out as well as my dress," she told her boyfriend. "I just need to know when to be there and where to meet you."

"Meet me here around seven. Bruce set up an eight-thirty reservation and Alfred will take us there via limo. As far as I know, M'gann will be hovering over us in her bioship but I don't know if anyone else will be there."

Leaning on the table, Tim flashed a grin as he looked into her eyes. "So, uh, what's the dress look like?"

Picking up a spoon, the blonde amazon teen waived it in front of him as Alfred re-entered the room and placed her now warm bowl of vichyssoise on the placemat before her. "You just have to wait and see."

Scooping a spoonful of the thick soup up, she swallowed the warm concoction and enjoyed the taste. "This is so good, Alfred. Thanks."

As the young girl continued eating, both the butler and Tim stared at her with disbelieving eyes. They didn't know if she was paying attention or if it were a complete accident, most likely the latter, but they didn't question it. Instead, they simply stared at her until she noticed what was happening.

Carefully setting her spoon down, Cassie's gaze journeyed from Alfred to Tim and back again. "What? Do I have something on my face?" She searched her face with her fingertips, hoping she wouldn't find anything embarrassing.

"Cass," Tim said. "You did it."

"Did what?" Cassie asked.

"Miss Sandsmark," Alfred spoke up. "You are using the soup spoon."

Looking at the piece of silverware in her bowl, she picked it up and looked it over as a wide smile claimed her face. "Actually, I have to confess something. Zatanna helped me figure this out. She laid a setting out and taught me what utensils to use and at what time. I was just messing with you."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Tim yelled as he threw his hands into the air.

"Very good, Miss Sandsmark," Alfred chuckled.

"What's very good?" Entering the dining room, Bruce Wayne, wearing a pair of dress pants, dress shoes, and a navy blue dress shirt, came up to the three with a paper in hand.

"Young Miss Sandsmark has finally pulled a successful joke on Master Timothy, Master Bruce."

"That's all well and fine," Bruce said with a grin as he looked at the young couple. "But I've been sent the menu for the night. Seems Oswald will not only be serving soup, but will also be serving an appetizer of escargot." He then handed Cassie and Tim each a copy of the menu, giving them a chance to look it over.

"Wait a second," Cassie said as she looked up to the lord of the manor. "Escargots are snails, right?"

"That is correct," Bruce answered.

"And we're expected to eat them?"

"Yes."

"I'm out." Tossing the menu down, the blonde powerhouse got up and quickly made her way out of the room. "People must be crazy to expect me to eat snails, disgusting."

"Bruce," Tim said with a sigh as he placed his head in his hands. "This is a menu from last month."

With a smirk on his face, Bruce winked at Alfred and turned to leave. "I'm not Batman all the time, you know."

War World

November 12, 17:47 UTC

On a high platform overlooking the wide, open area once used for the storage of stasis pods meant for the holding of captives, Vandal Savage confidently strode across a metal scaffold with his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze swept over hundreds of dark gray vehicles, all in uniformed lines and ready for use. Many were reminiscent of the M1A1 Abrams tanks found on Earth with large metal wheels instead of treads and a long turrent sitting on top. Razor sharp, jagged spikes were situated on the front of each one in a downward angle, meant for shredding anyone unfortunate to be standing in front of it. Behind the large tank-like vehicles were what looked to be SU-37 Berkuts with forward facing wings. Each were armed with four missiles and a pair of what looked like long barrels on the sides of the cockpit to deliver energy based firepower. Lastly, a large number of jet-like vehicles with rotors situated on top rested beyond the first group of air vehicles. Even they were armed to the teeth with missiles and energy based weapons.

"I take it this pleases you." Walking up behind the large immortal man, Desaad joined him where he stood. "The machinery you have asked for is finished loading. The troops you have requested will be finished in a few Earth weeks. One million strong, and all under your command as well as the crimson pod and its contents you requested."

"Thank you, Desaad. Tell your lord he may feel free to come to Earth without the intervention of any outside forces, including the Guardians of Oa and their lanterns, after I have brought those who stand in evolution's way to their knees."

"And how will you go about making this happen?"

"Months ago, I made it perfectly clear to all extraterrestrials Earth is off limits least they face the full power of War World. The ones dubbed The Justice League and their children will be dealt with as they prevent humanity from achieving what it is destined to be. When the slate is clear, so too will be the constant interference to humanity's future."

"Just remember the deal, once we obtain what we want, and only after we obtain it, you can feel free to have what's left of your planet. Lord Darksied does no free favors. And if you fail, he will take more than you could ever give, starting with your life."

"I assure you, once I make sure humanity's future is as it should be, you will be paid in full."

"One last thing," Desaad said as he pulled out a Father Box. "My lord does not want casualties brought to the ones you call 'heroes'. He wants to exploit every Metagene carrying human for his own use, as do I."

Activating the small box, Desaad summoned a Boom Tube and disappeared into it. Left behind in the vast planet-like battle station, Savage let his face take on a blank expression as he watched the bright light of the portal fade away. He then turned back to view the army of war machines below him and reclaimed his smug grin. This was the final part of his and The Light's overall plan and he would not change any part of it despite being one of the few left or despite Darksied's plans.


	32. Chapter 32

2.

Wayne Manor

November 17, 19:28 UTC

With the sun just about vanished from view, Wayne Manor took on an almost fantasy look to it with a long, snaking pathway through a forest of trees to the main gate. Its tall, dark grey walls housed the three floors securely with its dark roof making sure nothing entered from above. Large windows let in the light from the dawn as well as make sure the sunset was visible in the evening. Bay windows provided places to rest and overlook the city of Gotham, which was quite beautiful at night. Of course, all this was merely a front for what lay below ground as it was the home to Bruce Wayne and his adopted wards throughout the years.

A black, stretch limo sat parked in front of the house's entrance, gassed up and ready for use with Alfred making sure it was spotless. Not even a speck of dirt or fingerprint could be found on the vehicle's reflective surface, a feat only Alfred knew how to do as every other butler in Gotham couldn't do such a thing.

Inside the foyer of the elaborate mansion, Tim Drake was making sure he was looking his very best. Standing before a full length mirror, of the antique variety, he straightened his tie and made sure his hair was combed back perfectly for the mission as he waited for his girlfriend, Cassie, to finish getting ready. Further inside the building was M'gann, who was supplying the escape should the two infiltrators need it as well as Mal who was the backup for the two. Karen was going over her gear, making sure she had everything necessary for her part of the mission. This was a delicate operation for them all as one slipup could spell disaster for what they had planned.

"Okay, I think we're ready up here." Desending from the second floor, Barbra slung a small bag off her shoulder and headed for a nearby table where M'gann sat. "She's as ready as she'll ever be."

"That didn't take long," Karen stated as she fit her goggles over her head. "Did you even do anything?"

"A dash of rouge, some lipstick, and mascara was all I put on her. She really didn't need too much makeup."

"What about everything else?"

"Well, her hair was halfway finished when she got here and her dress fit like a glove. So after she gets into her shoes and makes sure her bracelets are set and rope is concealed, we'll be ready to go."

"As long as we get there fifteen minutes late," Tim said.

"Why is it rich and popular people always arrive late?" Mal asked.

"It's supposed to be gentlemanly and lady like. It's kind of like refusing to get the last bit of dessert at a party if there are others around."

"Still doesn't make sense."

"Okay, no one laugh!" Cassie shouted from the top of the stairs.

With everyone getting up and making their way to the bottom of the wide staircase, Cassie came into view. Dressed in a pair of red heels, she lightly made her way to the top of the stairs and stepped down them gracefully. Her posture was perfect, a feat successfully achieved from long hours of practice. The single shoulder evening gown she wore was from Versace with a deep exposed backing and a high leg cut in front. It's red and cream swirl coloring complimented her in every way and flowed elegantly with a golden belt fitted across her waist. Her magical lasso hung loosely across her hips, matching her belt with her shining, silver bracelets adding even more flare to her appearance. To the girls, she was a heartbreaker. To the guys, she was a knockout. To Tim, she was beyond descriptive words altogether.

"Well?" the blonde asked nervously. "How…how does it look? Too much?" Her hand shot up to her hair, which was done in a formal up-do with a few strands down the left side of her face.

"Uhhh…" Tim said.

"You look absolutely stunning, girl!" Karen told her.

"Uhhh…" Tim said again.

"Gorgeous," M'gann added.

"Uhhh…" Tim repeated.

"See, Cass, I told you, you would look great," Barbra said as she smiled at the job she did putting on her friend's makeup.

"Uhhh…" Tim's vocabulary was simply amazing.

"Well, Mal?" Karen asked her boyfriend. "How does Cassie look?"

Looking to the questioning woman in front of him then back up at Cassie, Mal shifted uncomfortably as he found himself between a rock and a hard place. This was not the first time he had found himself in a spot like this and knew the next words to come from his mouth could have undesired consequences if he didn't watch himself.

"Um, well… she looks…" The current hero known as Guardian actually began to shake inwardly at the sight of his girlfriend's eyes. How he desperately wished Conner was there to act as a buffer right now. "She looks…fine."

"I knew it!" Cassie yelled. "It's too much! I'm a t-shirt and jeans woman, not a gown and heels type!"

"Mal!" Karen chided as she pushed him slightly, being as heavily muscled as he was, he didn't move in the slightest.

"I, uh, I meant radiant. You look radiant."

M'gann and Barbra couldn't help but snicker at the sight of the nervous man beside them. Unknown to them, Karen had told them she wanted to rib Mal a little when Cassie came down.

Noticing her boyfriend staring at her, Cassie bit her bottom lip then instantly stopped doing so when the thought of ruining her lipstick entered her mind. "Well, Tim? What do you think?"

"Uhhh…" was all the current Boy Wonder said before Mal nudged him slightly with his elbow. "Wow."

Hearing that one simple word was all she needed to have a large, beaming smile claim her face when they heard the sound of a certain grandfather clock shift from its place.

"Alright," Bruce Wayne said as he exited the Batcave entrance and met the others in the foyer. "I need everyone to keep in mind what our objective is and what your jobs are." He looked over all involved, making sure they were ready for the mission at hand.

"While I have League business to attend to, and both Nightwing and Batgirl will be patrolling Gotham in my stead, I need you all to stay on alert throughout the night. Miss Martian, as the veteran of the group, you will be mission leader. I need you to keep an eye out for Tim, Karen, and Cassie if they need to evacuate. Security cameras are hacked with their live feed connected to the bioship once in range. Penguin has ways of detecting psychic activity so under no situations are you to go in unless absolutely necessary, so keep the bioship in camouflage mode while there and maintain radio silence, he has a very sophisticated radio tapping system; however, your cell phones will be out of range so text messages only."

"Understood," The Martian girl said.

"Remember, this is deep enemy territory you are going into," Bruce told Tim and Cassie. "Maintain your cover at all times while gathering as much information as you can. We need to know if Penguin is directly connected with The Light and if so, what his role is."

"Got it, Bruce," Tim said.

"We won't let you down," Cassie added.

"Okay," Bruce said with a nod. "The limo is waiting outside to take you to the Iceberg Lounge. Remember your cover, Cassie, and good luck to the both of you."

As Bruce left, the group headed to the front of the mansion as M'gann summoned her ship to pick them up while the two dressed up infiltrators headed to the limo.

"Master Timothy. Lady Sandsmark," Alfred greeted the two as they climbed in the limo then shut the door.

"You okay in there, Karen?" Cassie asked once she got settled in and opened her clutch purse. Aside from an extra lipstick tube, tissues, and a few other sorted items, a clear tube sat in the bottom of her bag where Karen was situated.

"Just dandy, Cass," Karen said from inside the tube. "Just…don't forget I'm in here or I will hit you with my stingers."

"Don't worry, just be ready to go when I press the button."

After a thumbs up, Karen went back to waiting as the clutch was shut closed. The tube she waited in was designed specifically for her. A spring loaded platform was positioned at one end under her feet, which would jettison her tiny frame out of the bag through a breakaway panel on the side of the handbag via a Co2 cartridge. A light buzz would sound a moment before the launch to let her prepare herself for dust off so she may carry out her part of the mission.

Up in the Bioship, Mal and M'gann hovered steadily as Alfred climbed in the driver's side of the limo. The second one to call himself Guardian sat at the front of the ship with a computer tablet in his hands. A live video feed was coming in from his girlfriend's point of view, which was the inside of the dark purse. A swipe of his fingers brought the visual Cassie was seeing as her earrings were designed to house a tiny camera in each. She had her eyes on the lavish interior of the limo and was currently going through the mini fridge for something to drink. Tim's visual came from the tiny camera situated on the top front of his tie, not his sunglasses as his cover didn't involve using them. Mal could see the third Robin was making sure his costume and utility beltwas hidden completely under his custom tailored suit.

"One thing I cannot understand," Mal said as shook his head, "is how Bruce, Dick, Tim, and Barbra are able to hide their costumes under their clothes so well. I could never hide mine under a suit like they can."

"It's because their like a second skin," M'gann explained as she piloted her ship after the limo. "Barbra let me see one of her old ones and the fiber's skintight but able to prevent a small caliber bullet from piercing it."

"Hmm, may have to invest in one when I get back to Watchtower. This armor's great but clunky."

"I'll remember that for Christmas." Taking off for a higher altitude, the Martian leader and the team's backup sped off towards the mission destination as the sun set behind them.

Inside the limo, Cassie sipped at a bottle of Perrier water as Tim went over mission parameters on a computer tablet as well as blueprints of the Iceberg lounge. Public records Bruce was able to get ahold of showed the building was three stories tall with a basement meant for the storage of rather expensive champagne and wine as well as some of the larger necessities for the restaurant such as tables and decorations. The first floor was for the numerous guests to dine, dance, and carry on business in a smoke room towards the back if need be. In the center of the restaurant was a large and very deep water tank with a small island in the middle in the shape of an iceberg.

The second floor plans showed a large office room where Oswald would undoubtedly be when not on the first floor smoozing with the extravagant people. Dozens of other smaller offices were scattered about, making for prime objectives to be searched. Security was stationed there with quick access to the first floor should something happen. The third floor was for storage, computer and electrical systems, and file storage. All of this was pointed out on the floor plans but none was definite as they were from the public's records and not the actual blueprints.

"Okay, Cass, when we get there, our table will be ready and provide us with a perfect view of the dining area. Karen should be deployed low to the floor toward the stairway to get to the second floor without being noticed. M'gann should station the Bioship on the west side of the second floor, given it overlooks a wide open area of the street, making an emergency evacuation much easier to achieve. I would have Mal take position near the back door since it would be easier to get past people if there's a riot due to our cover being blown. We should also-"

"Tim," Cassie interrupted, "take it easy. Bruce said to treat this as a date while Karen does her thing. All we need to do is keep an eye out on the first floor for suspicious activity or members of The Light. M'gann has things under control as team leader."

"But it doesn't hurt to have a backup plan for a backup plan. This is just how I would have everyone set up should-"

"Tim! M'gann's the leader. She knows what she's doing. Just sit back and enjoy the date."

"This is not a date, it's a mission."

"A mission that involves us acting as if we're on a date."

"There's no arguing with you, is there?"

"No, none whatsoever."

"And that's something I should just accept?"

"Of course."

"…Date it is then." Leaning back in his seat, Tim relented to let his girlfriend have her way, especially since it was hard for him to refuse her in the first place.

Watching the city of Gotham pass by, Cassie began to wonder about the others who were passed over for the mission. She already knew Zatanna couldn't be involved as she and Doctor Fate were still busy trying to find out more about the young girl Garfield had run into and finding her was proving to be difficult at best. Mal and Karen could have done this but she could only guess Karen's ability to shrink meant she would be better on the search part of the mission. And as good as Mal looked in a suit, she could only guess he would rather take the fight head on instead of being sneaky, something she could relate to.

"Hey, uh, Tim?" she asked as she swept a golden strand of hair to the side. "Why wasn't Dick, Barbra, M'gann, or Conner chosen to go in instead of us?"

"Well, Bruce said Penguin has preventive measures to keep psychics out of his lounge unless he allows it himself. He also has radio kill systems and hacking tech, so radios would be useless, and since he wanted couples going in and M'gann not able to infiltrate, that kept Conner out as a choice. Plus, he still doesn't like monkey suits too much."

Letting out a slight giggle, Cassie urged him to continue. She still remembered the face Conner made when he was told he may need to wear a suit if selected for this mission, the face he made when he was told he needed to wear one of Superman's spare costumes was also priceless.

"And as for Dick and Barbra," Tim continued, "they said 'don't ask, don't tell'."

"Pardon the intrusion," Alfred said from the front of the limo, "We will be arriving at the Iceberg Lounge shortly. Is there anything else I am needed for?"

"No, Alfred. Thanks." Scooting beside the door, Tim watched as the limo pulled up to the side of the building. Long lines of limos, Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, Lamborghinis, and other elaborate vehicles pulled to a stop at the front doors to let off their passengers and drive off or to be driven away by valets.

Pulling up to a stop, Alfred quickly exited the vehicle and proceeded to where Tim and Cassie sat.

"Good luck young Master and Lady," the elderly butler quietly said as the teens climbed out.

"Thank you," Tim told him as he offered Cassie a hand out. Every male's eyes outside the lounge was instantly drawn to her as she stepped out of the vehicle and stood tall.

As the butler climbed back into the limo and drove off, Tim put out an arm so his girlfriend could hook an arm around it. He had to admit, even though this was a mission disguised as a date, it felt pretty good to be with her in this situation. Being a hero was murder on civilian life, at least for a bat clan member. He also took pride in seeing the other young men doing a double take at the young blonde with him while the women sized her up their new competition.

"Alright, Cass," Tim whispered close to her ear as they drew near the large double doors. "Showtime."

**AN: Thanks for the continued support and comments about liking the last chap with Jason Todd. Admittingly, I don't know his character too well but I tried. And to the guest about my misspelling of Luthor, I'll fix that from here on out as that way was not part of my computer's dictionary, but now it is.**


	33. Chapter 33

3.

Iceberg Lounge

November 17, 20:25 UTC

Everything Cassie thought about the Iceberg Lounge could be read on her face. When the two team members approached the entrance, she was taken aback by the glitz and glamor that looked to only belong on the many red carpet shows she has seen. Indeed, a red carpet lined the, what looked like marble, sidewalk to the large double doors decorated with intricate art work on the frosted glass. Images of artic life and scenery were depicted with gold paint, real gold from what Tim told her. Two well-dressed burly guards opened the doors for the couple, allowing them entry and for the chorus of piano music to flow out.

Within the doors stood a young woman in an elegant black dress beside an open window where another young woman stood to check coats. Past them, and the red carpet covering the floor and several steps, was the open floor where tables were set up for dining complete with candles, ivory plates, crystal glasses, and pure silver utensils with penguins carved into the end of the handles. Dozens upon dozens of couples and groups happily ate, in Cassie's opinion, overly priced meals which thankfully did not look like escargot.

Past the eating area was an open floor covered in white marble for dancing. Several couples took advantage of the music and slow danced under the largest crystal chandelier the blonde teen had ever seen in her life. All this drew in her attention before she even noticed the artic white pillars and walls decorated with a continuous mural of the artic. Polar bears and penguins lined the white landscape with a beautiful ocean leading to the large water tank with the lounge's signature iceberg standing in the middle like a giant diamond emerging from the water.

Leading the two undercover black ops members to their table, a very attractive blonde woman in a curve hugging strapless black dress brought the two to their table near a 'Staff Only' door.

"Good evening, Miss," a young, tuxedo wearing man several years older than the two teens greeted. "May I interest you in a rose?"

Reaching into a cone shaped fabric carrier hanging from his arm, he pulled out a single long stem red rose and handed it to her.

"A beautiful flower for a divinely beautiful young lady."

The man's words caused Cassie to blush as she held her flower delicately. "Thank you. And may I add, you strike quite an impressive look yourself." She gave him a wink as he pulled out her chair so she may sit as Tim pulled out his own.

"Thank you for the compliment." Taking her hand, the young man bowed and gave the back of her fingers a soft kiss before taking his leave, leaving Cassie with a red face as she let out a giggle as Tim stared at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I hope your evening will be most elegant," the young female hostess said. "Your waiter will be here shortly with your soup, white Gazpacho with Almonds and Grapes."

"Sounds delicious," Tim commented as he gave the hostess a look over. "Very delicious."

With a nod, the hostess took her leave back to her station as the two team members settled in. being the charmer she was, Cassie gave a swift kick to Tim's leg once she was sure no one was watching and glared at him.

"Ow, what was that for?" Tim asked in a whisper as he rubbed his shin with his other leg.

"You know what it's for," Cassie answered in a whisper yell. "You were flirting with that woman."

"So? You were flirting with that guy. What? You can flirt with other guys but I can't?"

"You can flirt with guys all you want but not other girls."

"I didn't mean it like that. I meant it as I can't flirt with other girls."

"That's right, you can't."

"Then why can you do it?"

"It's called being undercover," Cassie said matter of factly."

"It's called the double standard," Tim spoke back.

"Whatever, just tell me if it's clear behind me."

After setting her pure white cloth napkin in her lap, Cassie placed her small clutch purse onto it. Sliding back a hidden latch, she exposed a slender silver button in the bag's handle and placed her thumb over it. Everything was clear behind Tim as the other patrons began to dine or leave for the dance floor. A moment and a nod from her date later, she pressed the button, activating the spring loaded ejection tube inside the clutch. A second after it was activated, Bumblebee shot out towards the 'Staff Only' door to carry out her part of the mission.

Once the light inside the tube came on, Bumblebee prepared to deploy. After being shot from the plastic tube like a bullet, she spread her wings and took off as she flew around the tables and people. She kept a close distance from the floor and tables in an attempt to not be noticed and entered an air duct near the door she was aimed at.

"Yuck, someone needs to dust more often." Bringing down a few strands of cobwebs, Bumblebee brought up her holo-computer to see where she needed to go. "Thank you Nightwing for making this overly simplistic to follow. I just hope these ducts are all connected to where I need to…HOLY!"

It came at her quick, faster than she was able to move. In all her training, she was never given this situation or the possibility of one as two giant, hairy legs came down on her. A slitted mouth opened as twin fangs drove towards the chest of the yellow and black woman who held both of them back with all her strength.

"Get off of me!" Struggling to get the creature to stop, Bumblebee began to kick at its soft underbelly as images of Eight Legged Freaks, The Return of the King, and The Fly entered her mind. "Oh if only I was regular size I would so squish you!"

As the spider continued to try and make a meal of the black ops member, it maneuvered it's abdomen in a way to deploy its web. Using its hind legs, the arachnid began to tie up its prey's feet and subdue her. With her hands busy keeping the fangs from impaling her chest; Bumblebee couldn't use her stingers to blast the creature back.

"I…really…hate…spiders!" With one last surge of strength, Bumblebee managed to shove the deadly venom injectors to the side and onto the floor. As the spider reared back to try to impale her once again, she managed to charge up and deliver a powerful blast of energy, knocking the predator onto it's back and flew into the air where she bombarded it with dozens of blasts.

"Freakin' giving me the heebie jebbies and trying to eat me I ain't going out like that I hate spiders I hate spiders I HATE SPIDERS!"

By the time she was finished with her assault, the remains of the creature smoked as they rested in pieces. Bumblebee breathed hard, catching her breath when she saw its leg twitch slightly and unleashed another volley of stringer blasts with a shriek.

"I..hate…spiders," she huffed as she hovered several inches from the ground. After shooting her feet free, she landed and allowed herself to have a good 'creeped out spasm' before taking to the air again. "Wing, you SO owe me one."

Taking off down the metal constructs, the tiny woman flew quickly through the dusty passage ways while following her computer's map. All the while hoping no more spiders would attempt to make a meal out of her.

Outside in the dining area, Tim and Cassie were enjoying their soup, completely oblivious to what their partner and friend had just gone through when the waiter sat a small bowl of a black substance between them. Grabbing the spoon designed for the particular dish, Tim served his girlfriend two spoonfuls of the delicacy then served himself.

"Alright, Cass, you'll love this." Taking one of the toast points, which came with the delicacy, Tim spread some of the dark substance on the crunchy piece of bread and proceeded to eat it.

"Is this what I think it is?" Cassie asked. "Caviar?"

"Absolutely. Oswald may be a criminal, but he does know how to serve his guests here."

Always one to try new things, Cassie spread some of the caviar on a toast point and took a bite. She instantly regretted it as her face took on a panicked look and she stared ahead at Tim. Her lips swirled left and right as the want to spit it out overtook her thoughts and a small yelp escaped her mouth.

"Cass?" Tim asked. "Just, uh…just swallow the caviar."

Cassie shook her head slightly.

"Cass?"

Her face became even more panic stricken.

Now it was Tim's turn to panic slightly. If his girlfriend should spit her food out, they would most likely be escorted from the premises, leaving Bumblebee behind and alone. "Cass, please, our cover. Just…just imagine you're eating, uhh…blackberries, but please don't let it come out."

With a slight nod and small yelp, the demi-Amazonian forced the ill-tasting food down to her stomach and drained her entire glass of Voss Water in two seconds.

"That was disgusting!" she whisper yelled to her date. "What is this?" she asked as she pushed the small plate away. "La'gaan's cousins?"

Forcing himself not to laugh, Tim coughed into his fist as he and Cassie smirked.

Upstairs in the air vents, Bumblebee reached the end of the road when she came face to face with a sudden stop. According to her computer map, there should have been a sharp turn to the left then a gentle curve upwards. Neither of them existed, leaving her with nowhere else to go but back. Muttering her complaints, the heroine backtracked and came to the last exit she had come across, which lead to Oswald's office. Slipping through the grate, she kept to the corners until she was sure there were no cameras or people inside.

"Okay, this guy's got one strong fetish for birds. He really needs to get a hobby." Making her way to the computer on a large, white, ivory desk. She had to be careful to not disturb any of the decorations, which consisted of rare bird breeds from around the globe as well as statues of long extinct ones.

"Shouldn't take long," she said as she grew to her regular height. "Oswald's security's easy to crack."

She was about to attempt to hack into the Lounge owner's computer when she heard the sound of footsteps approach from outside the hall. Acting fast, she shrunk down to her smaller size and flew under the desk to hide in the darkness as the door opened. A short, portly man in a black and white tuxedo, complete with tails, waddled into the office while adjusting a monocle over his eye with two large, muscle bound men behind him. The lead man also carried an umbrella in one hand, a signature of his which was known to always be a weapon. He was none other than Oswald Cobblepot, The Penguin.

"I want security doubled during the transaction. Ugly's associates may be leaderless but they still may be up to something more than whatever it is they have called to my attention."

"Yes, sir," one of the men said as Penguin walked up to his desk and tilted back one of his bird paperweight statues.

"And have everyone in the room armed just in case I tire of their words." He then pressed a button, activating a hidden panel in the wall, which opened to reveal a hidden elevator to the mysterious third floor. "Let's get this over with. I have other things to tend to tonight."

"Ugly?" Bumblebee whispered as the three men made their way into the elevator. "What's Intergang doing here?" She wasted no time in zipping into the elevator just as the doors closed.

"On another note," Penguin said as he pulled out a pocket watch to check the time. "I want someone keeping an eye on the blonde girl in the red swirl dress. She looks familiar."

"You mean the one with scrawny teen boy?" asked the second of the two men.

"Precisely. He doesn't look to pose a threat whatsoever; however, the female could be trouble if she is who I think she may be."

"And who is that?" asked the first of the men.

"One of those impetuous sidekicks of The League. If it is her, I want her taken care of as soon as you determine if it's her. Report to me when you have a positive ID."

"Yes, boss," both men said as Bumblebee wished she could contact the others right about now.

Bioship – Outside Iceberg Lounge

November 17, 21:37 UTC

Hovering above the Iceberg Lounge, Miss Martian monitored every available monitoring device she had at her disposal from the pilot's chair. Penguin may be able to tap into radio signals and have ways to block telepathy, but he was also susceptible to being hacked himself. The lounge's telephone lines were the first to be hacked into, thanks in no small part to Batgirl who also broke into the building's internet WiFi signal. The security system was also broken into, allowing her to see what the cameras saw.

She caught a few glimpses of Cassie and Tim having diner, as well as Cassie's near regurgitation of the caviar. She had to let out a laugh when she saw the blonde's face and recorded it for Guardian, who was stationed in a nearby alleyway, to see later as well as the others. Cameras to the second floor were very limited in number, cutting the Martian off from keeping any tabs on her insect themed partner. This in turn made her even more nervous.

Bringing her out of her monitor duty, Miss Martian's phone alerted her to a text. It was Guardian asking how things were going on inside the lounge. Since they were outside the building, and far enough away to where their cell signals couldn't be hacked, but not far enough to use Miss Martian's mental link, the two had no other option but to use their phones.

**MM: Everything's fine. Bee's doing her part and so are Tim and Cass.**

**MD: Tired of waiting.**

**MM: Just be patient.**

**MD: Easy for you to say. You don't have Con or Gar in there. I have Karen.**

Sighing at Guardian's text, Miss Martian remembered how it was when she had to wait for Conner or Garfield to get word to her on their status when they went on missions separately.

**MM: She'll be fine. Nothing can stop her, not even you. Remember?**

**MD: Yeah. You're right about that.**

Iceberg Lounge

November 17, 21:41 UTC

"Is this all you have to offer?" Penguin asked as he marched around a large assemblage of crates. "Weapons you have no use for?"

"Not just weapons, Mr. Cobblepot," the leader of the Intergang group stated. "Several of these crates have weapons, the rest have equipment we are interested in selling to those who may benefit from them. These weapons are not from Earth. They are from some other planet made for experimentation here, to see if they are effective against the League, and they are."

"Then why offload them? Surely you can find a use for them."

Looking downward, the Intergang leader shook his head slightly. "With Ugly and his assistant still…out of commission, we have no use for them. You can use them to mask yourselves against Superman and his kid's visions, all of them. They can see through Martian camouflage. These weapons are even capable of holding any of the members of the League regardless of how strong, fast, or if their able to do that…that…walk through walls thing."

"Density shift," Penguin exclaimed in a sigh.

"Yeah, that."

"And what of the rest of the lot who run around you?"

"Er, we really can't say as we really haven't been in the same circles as of late."

Looking at his group of armed men, Penguin contemplated if the gear Intergang looked to sell was worth the price they were asking. Then again, the gear was hardly worth his time as he was not one to challenge the League or their subordinates head on. He rather wait until others were finished dealing with them before taking what he wanted or taking advantage of those on the losing end, like a vulture. It was true those looking to fence expensive items would come to him, something he fancied himself for, but weapons were another story. It was as if dealing in the arms race was beneath him, unless a great deal of money could be made.

"Check the goods," Penguin ordered two of his men. "See if what they have to offer is worth my time and-"

"Sir." Coming up to the shorter man, one of the men from earlier brought his boss into a private conversation, one which the others in the room could not hear.

Giving a nod, Penguin turned back to his other associates and those of Intergang. "Gentlemen, it seems as if a rare opportunity has presented itself to us. My men have determined a member of the sidekick squad is here in my club, the one known as Wonder Girl. Should you want to impress me enough to partake in this deal, simply subdue the miscreant so we may be done with her. Fail, and you may not get out of here alive."

Looking the group over, Penguin took note of the glances they gave each other. "These are my terms, take them, or leave them."

From her position beside the elevator, Bumblebee overheard everything. Slowly backing into the shadows, she brought up her holo-map and typed in a few commands. She really needed to reach Cassie and Tim but was in no place and had no means to do so, not without exposing herself. Ducking further in the shadows, she kept her eye on the group of Intergang members as they suited up to engage Wonder Girl in an effort to sell their weapons. All had nervous looks on their faces as if they weren't so sure of partaking in this fight.

**AN: Ok, so last night while I was editing this chap, a gal pal, not a girlfriend, and I were watching Rock of Ages (although I wanted to watch Taken 2) with a few other dorks and this is (oddly) what we came up with. We really are weird.**

**Zatanna as Sherrie Christian**

**Robin as Drew Boley**

**Wally as Lonny Barnett**

**Lex Luthor as Paul Gill**

**Cassie as Patricia Whitmore**

**M'gann as Constance Sack**

**Rocket as Justice Charlier**

**Artemis as Dennis Dupree**

**Conner as Stacee Jaxx**

**Garfield as Hey Man**

**Tim as Mayor Whitmore**

**Virgil, Bart, and Jaime as the Z Guyeezz**

**This is what pizza and Mike's Hard Lemonade will get you. (Don't drink if you're underage. That's an order) and I dare anyone to take this cast and movie and make a story out of it. I kind of have a busy schedule right now, otherwise I would do it myself. Later.**


	34. Chapter 34

4.

Iceberg Lounge

November 17, 21:42 UTC

"You get anything?" Tim asked as he and Cassie sat back down at their table from a dance. It was the best way they could get any information from the guests without them knowing they were snooping around.

"Maybe," Cassie answered before taking a sip of water. "See those two women beside the ice sculpture of a polar bear? I thought I heard them say something about Penguin taking too long with a deal."

"Get what it's about?"

"I couldn't hear too well over the orchestra, but I heard 'ergang' once or twice."

"Ergang? Could mean Intergang is-"

"Wait," Leaning slightly to the side, Cassie kept her eyes on the two women as they moved away from the sculpture. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you-"

Before the Boy Wonder could finish his inquiry, Cassie had already gotten up and moved away from the table. Men turned to stare at her as she walked, almost floated, by as her dress flowed around her feet. The women she kept her eye on had both disappeared into the lady's powder room with her following them, reaching the room half a minute later.

Even the powder room was immaculately decorated with its white marble floor, light peach walls, and commodes surrounded by frosted glass. There was even a table stocked with perfumes, feminine needs, hairspray, and various other necessities with a woman in a black and white pant suit standing nearby should anyone need something from the table.

"Can you believe Oswald's not down here?" one of the women, a tall, long haired brunette Cassie followed asked as she applied more mascara.

"Cut him a break, Courtney. How do you expect for him to get around quickly with those stubby little legs?" The other woman was a dirty blonde with obvious enhancements to her figure. She too was reapplying her makeup, lipstick as it were, while making small talk.

"Macy, you're so wicked. Just because he's a midget doesn't mean he's short on cash. I heard about what happens when you work for him, you can-"

"Excuse me." Taking position beside the two slightly older women, Cassie acted as if she were adjusting her hair and applying a few shots of hairspray. Just as she anticipated, both women fell silent at her close proximity to them for the time she was there. It didn't take long for her to finish up and tip the woman beside the door before leaving.

"A little young to be here, don't you think?" Macy asked as she adjusted her top.

"I saw her with Bruce Wayne's kid," Courtney told her. "Looks like he's not the only playboy and womanizer in Gotham."

"How is Bruce a womanizer?"

"He has yet to go out with me, that's how. So, who is Oswald dealing with?"

"Intergang, I think their called. Felix told me he wouldn't be long. Something about buying weapons of some sort. But you didn't hear that from me."

Outside in the dining area, Tim kept his eye open for his girlfriend as he waited patiently. This was something he hated, not having any information while on a mission. If only Cassie would have told him what she was doing then he wouldn't be as on edge as he was. Fingers taped rapidly on the table cloth as he grew anxious when three large men came up to him.

"Mr…Drake?" one of them asked.

"Yes?" the teen answered.

"Will you please come with us? Mr. Cobblepot, upon learning you were in the lounge this evening, wishes to enjoy your company as well as your lady friend at the chef's table."

"Oh, that…that sounds wonderful, but as it is, I am awaiting her to finish up powdering her nose."

"No need for that. We had our employee in the powder room paged and has already escorted her to your new table."

"Oh, well…"

"Please, right this way, Mr. Drake."

Alleyway

November 17, 21:47 UTC

Across the street from the Iceberg Lounge, Guardian had a smaller version of his computer tablet displaying what the others were seeing inside the lounge. He grew worried when Bumblebee's video feed cut off and received nothing but static once she entered the elevator. Apparently the signal was scrambled and refused to come through. As for Tim's tie-cam, he grew hungry looking at the food the teen was eating. When he switched over to Cassie's video feed, he was surprised to see the floor of what looked like a restroom. He was about to contact Miss Martian via text when he heard two women mention Intergang.

"Cass, you are a genius, girl." Listening closely, Guardian overheard the two women practically spill everything they knew on what was going on. Felix, one of Penguin's employees from the sound of it, had told one of them everything. Intergang was there, looking to sell their apocalyptic weaponry for one reason or another. It wasn't until they left the vicinity of the camera's vocal range when he received a text.

**MM: Guard, hear that?**

**MD: Yep. Time to move in or get our troops out?**

**MM: Give them another twenty then I'll float you back to the ship to change. Then you can go in after them.**

Before Guardian could respond, he heard a commotion occur from an alley beside the lounge. Three large men were dragging someone out and giving him the bum toss into a pile of garbage. The three fived each other as they went back into the building when a few minutes later, Tim's face appeared on the video feed on his tablet.

"Guardian, Miss M, come in." Tim's words were rushed as he set his tie on a stack of trash bags. "Something's going down inside. I think they made Cass. I'm going back in and need you to provide a distraction in ten minutes when I'll break radio silence for Bumblebee to get out."

The last Guardian saw of his younger partner was him fading into the shadows and emerging a few seconds later in his Robin attire, sans cape, which was not deployed from its hidden compartment.

Inside the lounge, Cassie was looking for her boyfriend when she didn't see him at their table. Every passing second she couldn't find him made her grow even more nervous as the plan was for them to always meet there. He had no reason to leave the vicinity and only hoped he was in the restroom as she took a seat and continued to look around for him when she felt a prick at her feet. Using her foot to scratch the spot, since scratching in public was strictly forbidden in 'high society' she kept her legs under the table when another prick occurred. She once again scratched it when it happened a third time. Looking own, she saw Bumblebee wave at her urgently.

Grabbing her clutch purse from the table, she placed it in her lap and opened it up. Once her partner was inside, she moved it back to the table and acted as if she were digging through it in search of something.

"Cass! Cass!" Bumblebee shouted from inside the small bag. "They're on to you, girl! Tim's been thrown out and the others are getting ready to get you and me out! Just be ready to-"

Cutting the small woman off was an alarm alerting the patrons, in a polite way of course, to leave the premises. The staff quickly made sure the customers were taken care of while leading them to the exits. As the semi-Amazonian got up to leave, one of the men from earlier cut her off and forced her to fall back in her chair.

"My apologies, miss. But could you wait here until we have the area cleared out more?"

"I do not think that is necessary. It looks as if enough people have left."

Getting back to her feet, Cassie tried to move around the man but was cut off again.

"Look, I do not know what you are trying to do, but my boyfriend is probably waiting outside for me right now."

"Oh, he is definitely outside, young lady." Waddling into the room, Penguin made his way to his employee and the young heroine. "And if you want to avoid making a scene, I would suggest you stay seated until we are alone. That, or I will be forced to use one of my trick umbrellas I am sure you have heard of."

Falling back on her training, Cassie remembered to remain calm. She maneuvered her clutch to her side and opened it out of view so Bumblebee could get out. The pint-sized woman heard everything and made her way under the table as the last of the patrons left the building.

"According to our systems, the one called Bumblebee is also within the premises. Find her and bring her here," Penguin ordered another of his men. "There was also an unidentified signal originating here, three to be precise. Find them and cut them off."

As the hired muscle of the short criminal left, several others soon took his place along with the few from Intergang. They were all wielding the apocalyptic weapons they were looking to sell and stood before Cassie in a threatening manner.

"I do not take kindly to the League sticking their nose in my on goings. As I have made perfectly clear, this is a legitimate place of business, one I have had the pleasure of running on the straight and narrow as you would say."

"While making deals under the table with criminals and buying illegal goods as well as selling them," Cassie said. "We know what you do here behind closed doors. This place is like one of those speakeasies from the prohibition days. The cops and League come in, you're all business, the moment they leave, you're all crooked deals and-"

"Enough," Penguin ordered. "I am on a rather tight schedule in which my time is precious to me." He then turned to face the group of Intergang men. "Gentlemen, you may start the demonstration when ready."

Cocking their weapons, the members of Intergang stole quick glances at each other before taking aim at the blonde Amazon. The one carrying a large back mounted device was gestured to go first as his weapon could be used to incapacitate any super powered individual. Swallowing a lump in his throat the singled out man stepped forward and aimed a large chest mounted cannon at the still sitting girl. Cassie shifted her left foot ever so slightly, flexing her calf muscle to leap away at the last possible moment and fly away from the heavily armed group.

"Any time now," Penguin said.

Nodding nervously, the man placed his index fingers on the lock on buttons to place the reticle on the black ops member then moved his thumbs over the firing knobs. Watching him carefully, Cassie saw his thumbs press down on the controls and timed her jump precisely. The red disks shot outward and let off an electrical field around the chair she was in as well as the table. By the time the others turned to face her, she had already pulled out her rope and lassoed the pack wearing Intergang member.

"Fire!" Penguin yelled. "Take her down!"

In no time, the men opened fire on the flying teen girl who whipped her captive into several of Penguin's men. Her bracelets shined brilliantly as they reflected the bullets coming at her. Those with Apocalyptic weapons fired hesitantly, taking their time in pulling the triggers and picking their shots carefully.

"Back up, back up!" Cassie yelled in hopes her teammates would hear her. "Oh, crap, I left my camera in the bathroom. Fine, more fun for me."

Dodging a volley of fire, the Amazon in training charged low at two of the men. She took them both out by grabbing their legs and tossing them to the ceiling. Both hit hard and fell through a table as others took their place. Her golden lasso shot forth, snaring the polar bear ice sculpture and swinging it at the group, taking three more out before going areal again.

"I know it's cheesy, but…chill out!" Cassie yelled as she saw the ice sculpture crumble into pieces. She then reached for the clasp keeping her hair up and pulled it out, replacing it with her usual headband before continuing the fight. "There, that's better."

"You with the Apocalyptic weapons, what are you waiting for?" Penguin yelled as he took cover behind a flipped over table.

"I got it, boss!" Grabbing one of the fallen Intergang weapons, the owner of which was now unconscious after being punched into the kitchen, Penguin's right hand man aimed and pulled the trigger only to find nothing happened. He tried again and again, cocking the rifle and pulling the trigger to no avail. "It's empty!"

By now, Penguin noticed a number of Intergang's weapons had run dry. He grabbed a nearby gang member by the collar and brought him in close. "Why didn't you bring more ammunition?"

"Th…there is no more ammunition. We've been cut off for months, no battery packs."

"Cretan!" Backhanding the man, Penguin grabbed hold of his umbrella and slid open a hidden compartment just as a service door burst open.

"Wonder Girl!" Robin yelled as he flung several Bird-a-rangs into the fight.

"Aww, and just when I thought I would have the dance floor all to myself." Performing a flyby past Robin, Wonder Girl used one of the chairs as a swatter to hit another henchman into the wall, leaving a cracked surface were he hit.

As Robin took out one of the remaining men in Penguin's employ, the owner of the lounge came out of his hiding place with his umbrella resting on a shoulder. "I would appreciate it if you two would cease and desist this instant. Otherwise," he then pressed a button on his umbrella's handle, making the top portion of it shoot across the room to reveal a sword, "I will be forced to dissect your little friend here."

Wonder Girl came to a stop and hovered in the air with her hand wrapped around a knocked out henchman's neck. Robin had his quarter staff imbedded in another thug's stomach as they looked over at the portly criminal. Their eyes grew wide when they saw him holding Bumblebee with his thumb on her back and midsection pressed against his sword. She was knocked out from being in the vicinity of the table when the red disks hit.

"Care to press your luck? Drop my men and hand your weapons over to my remaining muscle or I'll see to it your friend makes a good snack to my twin parakeets."

Not wanting to endanger their friend anymore, both Robin and Wonder Girl complied. The Boy Wonder had his weapon collapse and tossed it toward the bird man's feet.

"The belt as well."

Narrowing his eyes, Robin slowly moved his hand to his belt buckle and undid the clasp. Shedding his utility belt was like a dog being neutered. It was his lifeline, something Batman drilled into his head so he would never be apart from it unless absolutely necessary. Wonder Girl literally dropped her thug and reeled in her lasso. Her eyes never left the unconscious woman in Penguin's flippered hands as she placed it on a table and stepped away from it.

"As I said, I don't take kindly to intrusions of the hero variety in my club. Now…what ever shall I do to you, to sear that fact into your undeveloped brains?"

"Let us go and call it a day?" Wonder Girl answered.

"No, I think I'll have you deliver that message to the League yourselves." Turning to his remaining men, Penguin indicated they should take the discarded weapons. "I have plans on how you two will deliver that message, just as I have plans to punish these…Intergang Neanderthals and teach them what it means to attempt to cheat me on a deal."

**AN:**

**Fairyvixenmaiden: The answer to your question will be answered as soon as the next part.**


	35. Chapter 35

5.

Outside Iceberg Lounge

November 18, 22:17 UTC

Bodies lay strewn across the sidewalk as Guardian smashed his way through numerous guards. As he provided a distraction outside, drawing a large number of Penguin's henchmen to him, Miss Martian surprised a number of them by ambushing them in her camouflage mode. The street was mostly clear by this point, leaving the two time and space to take out the remaining men in an effort to take some of the pressure away from what was going on inside.

"_Guardian, you have six more coming in on your left from the alley, watch it!_" Miss Martian announced over the telepathic link. Lifting two guards mentally, the Martian forced them to collide with each other then dropped them hard onto the asphalt.

"_I see them_." Using a guard as a projectile, Guardian lifted him up and threw him at the group. Three ducked, one dodged, and two were struck down.

"Take him!" On the order of the head guard, the men pulled out their pistols and aimed at the dark skinned hero. They were then taken by surprise as Miss Martian had their weapons lifted into the air.

"Trust me," she said as her eyes shined a bright green, "you do not want to do that."

"But I wanna do this!" Charging forward with his fist cocked back, Guardian delivered a hard right hook to the first guard he came to.

Iceberg Lounge

November 18, 22:12 UTC

"You lot should have really thought carefully about your attempted act of thievery here tonight. Attempting to sell me weapons in which there is no ammunition for, very bad form."

Making his way around the group of Intergang members, Penguin had his enforcers covering them from near all angles, their weapons aimed at the gang member's heads. The captured indeviduals all sat next to the large water tank as the two black ops members hung upside down above the water itself.

"These two, ugh, teenagers, will not be the only ones to suffer the consequences as you too will share their fate. I hope you enjoy the water as-"

"Seriously, it was caviar, caviar!" Robin said as he and Wonder Girl hung overhead.

"It was disgusting!" replied Wonder Girl.

"It's a delicacy!"

"Still disgusting! I mean, why would anyone eat eggs?"

Penguin rubbed is head in annoyance before addressing his captives again. "As I was saying-"

"You eat chicken eggs for breakfast!" shouted Robin.

"But those are cooked and from a chicken," Wonder Girl retorted. "These were raw and from a fish. You're eating baby fishies! Unborn baby fishies!"

"You eat undeveloped chicken fetuses! It's not that much of a difference!"

"It's a big difference 'cause they're cooked with butter, salt, and pepper with ketchup on top! Not to mention, normal people eat them!"

"Who eats ketchup on eggs?!"

"I do! I like ketchup on my eggs and I like ketchup on my hotdogs!"

"Ketchup doesn't go on hotdogs, mustard goes on hot…how did we get to talking about hotdogs?!"

"Shut up!" Penguin yelled, having enough of the two's bantering. "Miscreants, the both of you. I will make this short and simple for you two to understand, trouble makers in my club will be dealt with and severely punished. Now I don't know how two prepubescents gained access in here, but I know how you will be leaving, through the digestive tract of my little pet here. Guards, is the water warmed up yet?"

"Yes sir," one of the many guards answered.

"Then release the Guppy for me, will you please?"

"Right away, Boss." Pulling out a remote and pressing a red button on it, the henchman activated a steal door under the large open water area as well as make the large chain holding the two captives lower slowly into the water.

"If there is anything you need to say to each other before your untimely demise, I suggest you say it now." With a smug smile, Penguin took his leave back to his main office as his henchmen stayed behind to watch the show.

"Crap, there goes my head band." Looking below her, Wonder Girl saw her hair accessory land in the water with a splash. A moment afterwards, a large Great White Shark leapt out of the water and swallowed the headband. Even with her hair concealing her face, she was able to see a set of powerful, razor sharp jaws clamp shut as the band vanished in the animal's mouth. "HOLY CRAP!"

"How did we ever get into this?" Robin asked again as he shook his head.

"Who cares! We need to get out of this!"

Renewing her struggle against her lasso, Wonder Girl tried in vain to slip her hands free. The most she could do was wiggle her fingers against the knot but unable to untie it. Robin on the other hand barely moved, almost as if he were trying to will himself free when the two heard a splash from below.

"Alright, you're next," one of Penguin's henchmen shouted as he roughly grabbed another Intergang member and threw him to the edge of the tank. "Hurry it up, we ain't got all night."

"Please, I…I was just doing this to get some extra money for my-"

"Shut up and take a dive. Kenny, bring in the chum bucket!"

As the member of Intergang was pushed into the water with his partner and the shark, another of Penguin's men brought over a metal bucket filled with fish guts, fish heads, and blood. He pulled a chair beside the glass barrier to stand on as the shark swam below the two offered 'snacks'.

"Hey," the bucket man shouted at the men in the water as a third was thrown in, "We're gonna play a game here. The one to last the longest may get to go free. The others, you get the point."

As the henchman began tossing the bloody mixture into the water to entice the shark, Wonder Girl continued her attempt to free herself when she felt Robin's rope slacken slightly with his hand moving in a back and forth motion. "Robin, what did-"

"Bat-a-rang, always have a spare." Another of the Boy Wonder's rope slackened as he cut himself free while somehow holding onto his bonds so as to not alert the guards below.

"Where did you get a Bat-a-rang? They took your belt from you."

"Um, trust me…you don't want to know."

Torn between an 'EW' and a 'Thank goodness' the super strong blonde kept her eyes on the water below as a dark shape swam past. The shark was getting wild up from the smell of fresh blood in the water, bad news for the men currently being dumped in the tank.

"Whatever you're planning to do, do it now." Wonder Girl continued to struggle when she felt her lasso loosen around her from being untied.

"On my mark," Robin said. "Three, two-"

"Reinforcements, we need reinforcements!" a voice yelled form over a radio one of the guards was carrying then went to static.

"Felix? Felix, come in! You three, check the perimeter and-"

Before the head guard could finish giving his orders, the front doors to the lounge burst open from Guardian throwing the last of the henchmen through them and charged in. Miss Martian came in shortly after, using one of the doors she ripped off its hinges to provide a makeshift shield for her armor clad partner.

"Now!" Robin yelled as he dropped from the chain holding him and his girlfriend upside down.

With her rope slackened, Wonder Girl slipped from its unbreakable hold and grabbed her boyfriend's hand then tossed him back onto the dancing area as she retrieved her rope. Once on the dance floor, the third one to call himself Robin went into action by punching he first opponent he came across, sweeping the legs from underneath another, then flipping over a third. He finished him off by dropkicking him on the way down before rolling to his feet and grabbing his utility belt from a table.

"There," Robin said as he took hold of his collapsible bo, "now all's right with the world."

"Hang on!" Wonder Girl yelled as she flew to the men in the water. She was grateful they were in close proximity to each other as she was able to ensnare them all with her rope. She then looped the end over a chandelier mount and used it to hoist them out of the water and keep them from getting away when the shark leapt out of the water and caught the end of her dress, dragging her into its domain.

"_Guardian, Robin, Wonder Girl, Bee, I'm heading upstairs for Penguin. You four alright down here?"_ Miss Martian said over their mind link.

"_We got this!"_ Guardian announced as he brought a large guard down with a kick to the knee. _"But I don't see Bee!"_

"_Got her, she's safe!"_ Using his bo as a pole vault, Robin landed on the table Bumble Bee was on. A swift kick to another guard bought him enough time to get the unconscious woman, who was still in her shrunken form, away from any danger as their mission leader phased to Penguin's office. _"Just putting her somewhere safe for now."_

While her squad mates dealt with the rest of Penguin's enforcers, Wonder Girl felt as if she stumbled into the remake of Jaws. She has seen a full grown Great White Shark up close before, only there was a five inch thick glass between her and the animal. This one was not like the other one she saw at Sea World, this one was at least five maybe six feet longer with rips in its skin similar to Wolf's, a clear indication of it being infused with Kobra Venom.

Watching the man eater swim away, Wonder Girl backed up to the side of the tank. She was thankful she had a lung full of air and the water was clear; however, the shark disappeared from view once it reached the glacier. She knew better than to swim out to confront the beast as that would leave her open to attack from multiple angles so instead, she kept her back to the tank wall and scanned the area carefully. She recalled what she had learned from watching Shark Week and knew better than to make jerky movements, then again, she wanted to face off with the sharp toothed creature.

Using her bracelets as a dinner bell of sorts, she clanged them together, all the while keeping an eye out for the rows of teeth looking to sink into her. Her wait was short as the animal attacked from below with its jaws opened wide to swallow her whole. In one fluid move, Wonder Girl caught the incoming animal on the nose with one hand and the lower jaw with the other. Shooting backwards, the blonde Amazon wound up and smacked the shark on the nose with an open palm, sending it back a few feet against its will. The hit to its sensitive nose caused its natural radar like senses to go on the fritz, giving it no choice but to retreat away from its anticipated meal.

With a snarl, Wonder Girl gave chase, her flight ability coming in handy underwater to swim after the shark, and caught it by the tail. With a great deal of strength, she pulled it back and flung it to the surface where it broke the water and landed with a heavy thud on the dance floor with the super strong teen girl following after.

Emerging from the tank with a trail of water behind her, Wonder Girl landed beside the slowly suffocating shark and looked the area over. "Aw, you didn't leave any for me."

"Holy flying fish, Wonder Girl," Robin said.

"Fishing without a rod," Guardian spoke up. "Knew you had some hidden talents, girl."

"I'm just glad you wore shorts under that dress."

Looking down at her now ruined garb, Wonder Girl sighed as she picked up the tattered bottom portion. "And I was starting to like this one too."

"I'm sure your little bird will get you another," Guardian commented. He undid his left shoulder guard and rubbed where one of the guards from earlier landed a lucky shot with a pair of brass knuckles. "Now tell me, where'd you put Bee?

A cocking sound came from behind the three where one of Penguin's henchmen struggled to remain conscious. He had managed to crawl over to the apocalyptic disk launcher and situated it over his chest.

"Hate to break it to you," Robin said as he turned to face the criminal, "but those weapons are out of ammo."

The henchman laughed as he powered up the weapon and locked on to the three heroes.

"Or maybe not."

With his hands on the triggers, he was just about to fire when his eyes went wide and his body went stiff a second before he fell to the floor. Behind him, Bumblebee hovered for a second then grew back to her regular size as she rubbed her head. "Okay, two questions, first off, what did I miss? Second, Who's idea was it to put me in a potted plant?"

Guardian and Wonder Girl simply looked at Robin who cleared his throat as he looked away.

Watchtower

November 18, 23:47 UTC

"So even though Penguin has no connections to The Light or any of Vandal's associates, he has shown he had connections to Intergang, correct?" Standing before the five man team, Captain Marvel looked over the video footage Karen took when she arrived on the third floor of the Iceberg Lounge. "That's a lot of weaponry they were carting around."

"Yes, but by the time I got up there, it was all gone. Penguin was missing as well but security footage showed him leaving through an underground garage by limo. It seems his private elevator also lead below the club as well," M'gann described. "Tim picked up residual readings we've been getting matching Boom Tubes, so it is possible they were shipped back to wherever it is they're from be it on or off world."

"Any word on what Strange could do to block them?" Tim asked. He still wore his Robin pants and boots but had changed to a plain white shirt for the time being.

"Nothing yet," Captain Marvel told him. "All he said was they differ in frequencies from Zeta Beams and are harder to block."

"Well all I know is, Intergang brought those weapons there to sell in an attempt to cheat Penguin out of his money by not telling him they were out of battery packs for them," Karen said.

"Which would more than explain why they so suddenly dropped off our radar. But why would their suppliers just leave them high and dry like that?"

"Beat's me, and unless the Boom Tube opened up under the crates, only someone like Flash could clear all that out in that short of time. I mean, it was a lot of stuff."

Looking the group over, the substitute League leader decided tomorrow would be better to continue discussing what they had found and released them. Turning back to the computer terminal in the assembly area, he typed a few more notes in and saved it. A long sigh flooded from him as he looked out the window into open space. He couldn't help but feel as if someone or something were looking back at him.

"Hey, Mal," Karen asked as she took of her gloves and walked away from the others. "You wouldn't happen to know where Nightwing is, would you?"

"He was supposed to be patrolling Gotham with Batgirl. Why? Were his floor plans wrong?"

"Yeah, but I can't blame him for that since they were from the public's records. Bird-man has more secrets in there than we knew. I just wanted to see if he had anything for bugs."

"Bugs? What're you talkin' about, woman?"

"I'll show you what I recorded in the vents. Right now, I'm gonna spray down my house with some Raid before going to bed."

Across from the others, Tim and Cassie walked side by side while M'gann headed for the Zeta Tubes. Cassie had already changed out of her torn dress and into a pair of denim shorts and shirt.

"What a night, huh?" Tim asked as he took off his belt and draped it over a shoulder.

"Yeah, you could say that." Pulling her hair back, Cassie took a hair tie from a pocket to give herself a quick ponytail. "Sorry about the dress."

"Forget it, it's just a dress. If you want another one, I'll have one delivered to your house."

"That would be great, but since this was a mission date, do you think we can go out on a real one sometime soon?"

"You know, now that you mention it, I do believe I can get tickets to Cassidy this weekend."

"You mean the sold out Cassidy? The sold out for months Cassidy who sings the number one hit song 'Fire'?"

"The one and only."

Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, Cassie pulled her boyfriend roughly and planted a kiss on his lips. "Best boyfriend." She then flew off toward the Zeta Tubes to head for home.

Tim stared after his girlfriend as she waved and entered the portal to head home. "It's good to be the Boy Wonder."


	36. Part 8: The Catalyst - Chapter 36

Part 8: The Catalyst

1.

Logan Animal Sanctuary, Quarc

December 24, 09:37 UTC

Too warm. That's what it felt like to two of the three team members who landed in the wide open land of a great animal sanctuary. Herds of wilder beasts ran freely among the rocky soil, grazing every so often as birds took flight from finger-like trees. Dust blew over the dry earth with mini cyclones appearing every now and then as a long mountain range seemed to stand guard over the and some miles away. An old house stood in the middle of the protected land with a barn, only a few years old, standing nearby, which housed medical equipment for any animal emergency as well as a few human ones. Where once those were the only two structures, surrounded by barbwire fencing on all sides, several new buildings now stood, each for a different purpose.

Between the barn and house stood a single story storage unit designed for housing vehicles to traverse the area. Four wheelers, tractors, dirt bikes, pickup trucks, dune buggies, and multi terrain vehicles waited for use at any given moment. What looked like a general store between the entrance to the property and the house was actually an information center for any vacationers visiting the area with a large sign reading 'Marie Logan Memorial Animal Sanctuary' above it and a large bronze plaque detailing how the land came to be as well as tell about the life of its former owner. Truly, the place never looked better; a fact Garfield noticed every year he returned for a Christmas visit.

Keeping a low profile, Garfield, M'gann, and Conner landed the bioship several miles from the sanctuary, as the locals really didn't need to know about their interstellar mode of transportation or what they did for a living. As such, they brought along a truck of their own, one of the many Bruce Wayne supplied should the young shape shifter want to visit his former home. He was also responsible for a great deal of financial support to get the memorial going.

It was less than a ten minute drive for the three to reach the sanctuary entrance gate. Normally, the barrier separating the rest of Quarc and the protected area would be open to the public, but since it was nearing Christmas, the area was locked down with only minimal staff working the land. Entrance was of no concern as Garfield was given the code to open the large iron gate. A two to three minute drive later, and they reached the house the fourteen year old once resided in.

"Do you want to stop here?" M'gann, now in her Megan appearance asked Garfield who looked out the window as Conner slowed the truck to a crawl in front of the house.

"No, I just want to see mom right now, if you don't mind." Donning his charm necklace, the usual green skinned teen boy now passed for any other person he would come across. "I really want to get her these flowers as soon as possible."

"We don't mind, Gar. Whatever you want to do is fine by us."

Looking out the passenger window, Garfield swept his gaze over the endless land until a tall, thickly foliated tree came into view. The group could see a headstone as they came closer, marking the grave of Marie Logan with a rock bench situated near the marker. Pulling to a stop several yards from Marie's resting place, the group of three exited the vehicle. Garfield got out first, holding a bundle of flowers in is hands with Megan right behind him as Conner came around from the other side.

"Um, guys? Can I have a few minutes alone first?" Garfield asked as he stopped a few feet from the grave.

"Of course," Megan told him with a smile. "We'll be over here by the truck."

As Garfield made his way to where his mother rested, Conner took the time to check his phone for any messages. Aside from a text from Marvin being excited about Wendy spending Christmas with him, there really wasn't anything else.

"Conner," Megan said as she leaned against the truck beside him. "Thank you for coming. It really means a lot to him."

"You know I do it every year. Still don't understand why he talks to a grave. From what I've learned, she's not really there."

"Just depends on what you believe I guess. I've heard every one of our friends tell me something different with two possible outcomes, life after death or none at all. Personally, I prefer the former over the latter, and it actually makes you feel good thinking about living after dying."

"Like Secret, or whatever that girl's name was Artemis and Zatanna ran into?"

"Exactly."

Crossing his arms, Conner continued to stare at the young boy who positioned his handful of flowers in front of his mother's headstone. He was now sitting on the nearby bench, talking as if she were there in front of him. "Did they do that on Mars?"

"All the time. Next time we go, I'll show you if you want. We have a temple built for the sole purpose of remembering the departed."

"Like the memorial forest in Watchtower?"

"Close to it. Only we have statues of leaders and small shrines for family members inside."

"Sounds nice." Looking down, Conner shuffled his feet as he changed his stance and hung his thumbs in his jean pockets. "Listen, uh, the Kents invited Clark and I over for a Christmas Eve…thing in Smallville again this year. Would you and Gar like to come along?"

Looking up at him and locking eyes, Megan couldn't hold back a smile. "Sounds like fun. We'll definitely be there. What time is it?"

"It starts at seven so we could leave the Watchtower around six thirty and meet Clark at the farm with ma and pa. Just a heads up, it's country dress, so…"

"Dress like Urban Cowboy and not Daisy Duke?"

"Yeah." A memory flashed in Conner's mind at the time he and his Martian counterpart watched The Dukes of Hazard, resulting in M'gann adopting a pair of Daisy Dukes for a summer and him wanting to jump his bike using a trailer as a ramp. Both Batman and Martian Manhunter put a stop to that.

As they watched Garfield continue his conversation, Megan moved closer to Conner until their hands brushed each other. He looked down at her from the corner of his eye as a small grin spread across his lips. When he felt her reach for his hand, he pulled it away and draped his arm across her shoulders, bringing her in close as she rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped an arm around his waist.

Back over with Garfield, the young teen was still talking to his mother, not missing anything that had happened since his last visit.

"…So I think I'm really getting better at being a hero. Sis let me sneak up on the Reach EFD to plant the egg on it to shut it down. Conner's been training me harder than the other recruits, not because he's mean or anything, but I think it's because he really wants me to be the best. Plus…I've finally got a bicep."

Pulling his sleeve up, the human looking Garfield flexed his arm as much as he could. "Yep, I'm ripped."

"Tell her about the girl yet?" Coming up behind the youth, M'gann, walking hand in hand with Conner, couldn't resist asking. "Did you tell her about how my little blood brother had his first crush?"

Garfield's face instantly turned red as he froze at the words. Slowly turning around, he saw M'gann with a smile and Conner with a raised eyebrow and sly grin. "Um, I was just about to get to that."

"You mention about how you've been reading up on Edger Allen Poe's The Raven?" Conner asked. "Or turning into one in the forest room?"

"You saw that?!" Garfield yelled as he stood.

"So did Wolf and Sphere."

"Um, that, that was a training thing. I was just practicing my morphs in my free time."

"As a raven every time?"

"Um…"

"It's okay, Gar," M'gann told him. "It just means you're growing up. And soon you'll be hanging around girls more, thinking about them all the time, going out on dates, and one day you'll get ma-"

"I'm done, time to go, lots of stuff to do. The world won't save itself, you know." Moving along, the shape shifter left the gravesite and quickly headed back to the truck.

"You were right," Conner told M'gann quietly. "Trolling him for trolling us was fun."

"Told you." Looking down at the grave, M'gann took a step forward. "He's doing great, Marie. You would be proud. Miss you."

With a squeeze to her boyfriend's hand, M'gann turned to follow her blood brother back to the truck. As for Conner, he stared at the headstone for a moment before looking back at the Martian girl and teenage boy then looked back at the marker. "You really would be proud of them both."

He then turned and joined the others.

The Tower of Fate

December 24, 011:01 UTC

Inside a pitch black room, Zatanna and Doctor Fate sat facing each other with several lit candles around them. Both beings hovered as they meditated with their lose clothing and hair gently flowing around them. There was no way to tell how deep or tall the walls were, no way of telling where the floor ended and the walls began. Along with the surrounding dark was also silence. Not a sound could be head, not even their breathing as they meditated for what seemed like days at a time.

It was times like this when Zatanna would catch a glimpse of the man under the mystical helmet, her father, and would try to make contact with him. Despite her best efforts, Fate would always intervene and separate the father and daughter even more so. She never stopped trying; however, Doctor Fate did not expect her to.

For the greater part of the morning, the two had been attempting to reach the young girl Garfield had met a few months ago. They focused on the description the green teen gave them as well as the mental images M'gann was able to give them from what she saw. Admittingly, it would be much easier to find the girl known as Raven if they had some way of identifying the type of energy she used or knew where she headed off to. All they knew was they had to find her due to a cyborg being on the hunt for her.

"You're stalling," Doctor Fate said. He still had his eyes closed as he focused his powers on the task at hand.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Zatanna replied.

"You know perfectly well what I am referring to. Your father wishes for you to cease attempting to free him. It is a deal he made with me and must see it through to the end."

"You don't actually expect me to believe that, do you? I highly doubt a loving father would want to never have contact with his daughter like you would have me believe."

"This conversation's over, and so is this attempt in finding the girl." Putting his legs down from their folded position, Doctor Fate had the room fade away to reveal they were on a single square podium with MC Escherish stair cases surrounding them.

"Please," Zatanna said as she too unfolded her legs and followed after the sorcerer. "I beg of you, let me see my father. You don't have to let him have full control. Let me have a few moments with him. I have gone six years without seeing his face, hearing his voice. All I ask is for five minutes. Please."

"Five minutes could be the deciding factor of the world," Doctor Fate's voice boomed at her. "In the span of five minutes, the world's order could shift. In five minutes, chaos could attempt to tear order down. That is a risk I will not take."

Turning away from the female magician, Doctor Fate stomped off to his private meditation chamber.

Before the Lord of Order could vanish behind closed doors, Zatanna waved her hand, creating a portal back to the real world. "Imagine the chaos one's life could be without the guidance of their father." She then stepped through the doorway, leaving Fate behind.

A moment after the doorway shut, a voice echoed through Doctor Fate's head. "_She is right, my friend_."

"Zatara, Fate does not need your interference."

"_I'm not interfering, only commenting. I have not spoken to my daughter in years, since that night I put the helmet on_."

"I stand by my decision."

"_And she stands by herself. There is so much more I could teach her, so much more she could and should learn not just from me, but from us both. Her mind has yet to be filled and her powers are capable of becoming stronger._"

Standing before a small table in the middle of his private chambers, Doctor Fate thought over what Zatara had said. When he was bonded to Zatanna, he could sense the girl could become extremely powerful. She was like a vessel for mystical energy, capable of surpassing her father if guided properly.

"_I do not ask for our agreement to be broken, all I ask is for a few moments with my daughter. Please_."

Looking down at the table, Doctor Fate eyed one of the few possessions Zatara had chosen to keep in the Tower of Fate. It was a photograph of the father and daughter from the last birthday he was able to celebrate with her.


	37. Chapter 37

2.

Central City

December 24, 15:47 UTC

It had taken some time to get there, but it was something a young woman was determined to do. Artemis, now five months pregnant, walked beside her mother who was using a new electrical wheelchair, a gift from Barry and his family. The machine was leaps and bounds better than her old one as it sported a powerful battery powered motor suitable for traveling outdoors or off-road as Bart put it. It was a good thing it was made that way since she was now traversing a lightly snow covered gravel path with her daughter.

A chilled wind lightly blew over the two, causing Artemis to rub her arms for extra warmth while her mother adjusted her scarf and blanket over her legs. Had it not have been for Alfred, faithful butler to Bruce Wayne, the two women would have had to take a taxi once they arrived in Gotham via Zeta Tube from visiting with the Wests. The blonde could still hear her mother's reaction to traveling through the portal for the first time; it practically made her day at how fascinated she was with the near instantaneous way of transportation, although the reference to a movie entitled 'Contact' was not understood by the younger woman.

Row after row of headstones were passed by as Artemis lead the way to her deceased boyfriend's gravesite. Evidence of others paying their respects lay on the various memorials to leave them something for Christmas and New Year. Three new graves were noticed with one of them being a young boy's, making the blonde rub her stomach in hopes she would not lose the child she was carrying. It wasn't long until the two were at the small headstone of the fallen hero, Kid Flash, and stood over several mementos from Artemis' friends.

"Been awhile, Baywatch." Reaching into a tote bag, the former archer pulled out a small Christmas tree decorated with red and gold trimming. Stooping down, which was not an easy feat for her; she dug a handful of dirt from under the snow to secure the holiday decoration and make sure the small metal steaks were as deep in the ground as they could go.

"I can take those, Artemis." Reaching out, Paula grabbed a few decorations her daughter handed to her, a Happy Thanksgiving sign with two small plastic turkeys glued to it. She smirked as she remembered her daughter telling her the team always had three turkeys for the holiday, one for them, and two for Wally, which was reflected in the decoration.

"You know what the hardest part is about him being gone, mom?" Artemis asked as she stayed on her knees and looked the grave over. "It's not the fact his kid won't get to know him, or how we wasted so much time being stubborn, it's knowing he's not even there. It's not fair we didn't even have a body to bury."

Rolling up next to her daughter, Paula reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know, sweetie. But as I have told you, he's in a better place, somewhere where he can watch over you and your child for all time. It doesn't matter if he's there or not as our bodies are simply shells we use. It's his spirit that will always be around, and it will always be around you."

"I know, mom, but I still miss him." Wiping away a tear with her sleeve, Artemis placed her hands on her belly. "And he'll never get to hold our kid."

"He died a martyr. He saved the world for you and in turn saved it for your child. Remember him for the good times, the times you were together, and celebrate his life. Don't mourn for him, live for him."

Letting out a pent up breath, Artemis ran her fingertips over the headstone. She felt the carved letters of his name, the numbers of his birth year and death, and the phrase, 'Hero to the End'."

"Oh, I almost forgot." Plunging a cold hand into an inside jacket pocket, Artemis pulled out a small laminated picture with a hole at the top and a ribbon through it. "Next best thing to you seeing your daughter for yourself."

She mounted the small sonogram photo on the Christmas tree. She then kissed her fingertips and placed them on the headstone. "I don't have a name yet, but I'm narrowing it down. You'll be the first to know when I've settled on one."

The wind blew again, colder this time, making Artemis' teeth chatter as a few snowflakes began to fall.

"Now you're making me miss him even more," Paula said as she tightened up her coat around her. "He was always a gentleman around the house. A gentleman with a bottomless stomach, but a good man through and through." Her remark about Wally's appetite was enough to make her daughter laugh when she saw her waddle around on her knees. "Artemis? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just- nugh! Crap!" In an effort to stand back up, the pregnant young woman lost her balance and rolled backwards, it didn't help she looked like an egg with her coat being a light tan color. "Mom, a little help!" She couldn't help but laugh again at her embarrassing situation and was thankful she wasn't on a hill at the moment.

"Ar…Artemis…" Paula laughed. "What were you thinking?"

"I was just trying to stand up on my own." By now, Artemis was letting out a laugh as she resembled a turtle on its back. She rolled to her side and got back on her knees as her mother rolled in front of her to offer out her hands.

"Come on my Weeble, wobble on up here."

"Mom!"

"I'm sorry," Paula said while still laughing. "But you looked so cute rolling around like that."

With a little effort, the wheelchair bound woman helped her daughter up and brushed off what little snow she could from her seat pants. The two made their way back to the limo Alfred was at, which would take them back to the Wayne mansion for dinner before going home as they laughed about Artemis' little incident.

As they walked further away from the grave, another individual watched them enter the limo and waited for them to drive away. They then headed for the grave at an unusually slow pace, for them at least, and stood at the foot of the resting spot.

"Been a long time, KF," Bart said while moving a pair of ski goggles off his eyes, his winter outfit was of coarse red and yellow. "Meant to see you last week with Barry, Iris, and your fam but I was called on a mission. I even missed when Dick came to visit you, but I see he left my red and yellow daisies for you, so I hope that's crash. You'll be glad to know the twins are doing great and I saved a girl from being shot by Deathstroke. Looks like Superman's not the only one faster than a speeding bullet, huh?"

Flashing a grin, Bart moved up and down on his feet impatiently.

"I'm doing the Kid Flash name justice, living up to the high standards you set, and not taking anything lightly cause that would not be crash, not crash at all."

Looking over what Artemis left, the young speedster knelt down and took a closer look at the sonogram and tree.

"AH, I see you're ready for Christmas and already got your gift, a picture of a small gray glob. That's…great, I mean, it's alright if you like…wait a minute…that's a baby! Artemis has pictures of the baby? That is so crash! Can't tell what it is, but I'm sure she'll tell us at the Christmas party later. And I'll make sure to eat some Chicken Whizzies for you, my main man. Although Jaime does give me a run for my money when it comes to chowing down on them, but I wouldn't be much of a speedster if I let him eat more than me, would I?"

Across the cemetery, another of the black ops team members stood under the shadow of a tree, his trench coat ruffling in the wind like the cape he was known for wearing only a few years ago. Unknown to the others, he had been there long before Artemis and her mother had arrived.

"Care to join us at the mansion?" Coming up behind the silent man, Barbra Gordon, dressed in her civilian winter clothing, approached her old friend and partner.

"Yeah, just wanted to see the others for a bit." Turning to meet her, Dick Grayson adjusted the sunglasses he was known for wearing constantly.

"Why didn't you go up to them?" Barbra asked as they began walking back to the parking area. "They would have probably liked seeing you here with them."

"I thought they would like some privacy. Plus, I'll see Artemis and Paula for dinner, and Bart will be at the Watchtower Christmas party. Are you on patrol tonight or watch duty?"

"Neither. I'll actually get to have Christmas with my father this year. He'll be off tomorrow. Plastic Man, Icon, and Rocket will be on watch duty tonight, you?"

"Patrol. It's usually quiet around this time so I shouldn't have too much trouble tonight."

"As long as you stop by. It wouldn't be the same if the entire Bat Clan wasn't present."

"True," Dick said with a chuckle. "Everyone loves a bat."

"Last time I heard, its cause of the car." Catching her friend grin, Barbra couldn't help but give him a friendly nudge as she fished for her keys when she found an envelope in the pocket she reached into. "What's this?"

Stopping just short of her car, she flipped the white packet over to read 'Merry Christmas, Babs' on the back. Slipping her finger under the pasted flap, she ripped it open to find a pair of concert tickets for the Christmas showing of the Rocketts in Gotham tomorrow and a reservation for two at one of Gotham's premier restaurants with a note.

_Babs, my gift to the 'whelmest' girl I have ever known. Hope you and Jim enjoy the show with dinner on me._

_Merry Christmas,_

_Santa-Wing_

"Dick, thank…Dick?" As she looked up, Dick Grayson's black sports car was already halfway out of the cemetery. As per his usual self, which was similar to Bruce, he hardly ever bothered to stick around for thanks no matter what he did. He was raised by the Batman after all.

"Sometimes I hate it when you skip out like that. I hardly ever get to say thank you." She looked down at her gift and grinned as she thought of spending Christmas, her favorite holiday, with her father before climbing into her car and driving off.

Houston, Texas, satellite station – Formally NASA

December 24, 19:00 UTC

It was a slow night for those working the night shift at what was left of NASA after it was essentially shut down. A team of several men monitored a multitude of computer screens with one of them designated the 'Santa Tracker' for the kids wanting to see where Santa Clause was by logging onto their website. One of the technicians was taking notes quietly as he kept track of both asteroids and space junk when something caught his eye.

"Hey, Stephenson," he called to his director. "I'm picking up on something just outside the Milky Way."

"What is it? Another one of your UFOs?" Stephenson asked.

"Naw, it looks like…I don't know, an asteroid, but it seemed to stopped in the belt. Do we have any debris floating around out there?"

"Let me check." Typing a few key strokes into his terminal, Stephenson was rewarded data of replaced sections of the Hubble Telescope and the International Space Station that were known to be floating around that area. "Don't worry about it. Just scrap they replaced on the Hubble and ISS. I think the Green Lanterns are supposed to move them or something later."

"You sure? Looks kinda big?"

"You ever see those things in real life? They're not toys, you know. Just ignore it."

"You're the boss." With that, the technician moved onto another monitor.


	38. Chapter 38

3.

Watchtower

December 24, 19:57 UTC

"Man that was brutal." Coming out of the locker room, Virgil, or Static to the non-super beings of Earth, tied his dreadlocks back in a haphazard ponytail. They had grown longer and he had decided to keep them like that for a while.

"I know what you mean," Jaime said as he too emerged from the room as he slipped a plain white short on. "My shoulder still feels numb from that judo throw Canary did on me." He rubbed the offending spot and rotated his arm slowly. "I'm just glad she didn't break anything. How about you, _ese_?"

"Black Lightning didn't leave too much of a bruise on me, mostly light electrical marks." Lifting his shirt, Virgil showed off his badges of toughness from his training. Light red marks from electrical attacks snaked along his skin. "Getting better at blocking his attacks with my own, but I still need practice."

"Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt but it itches like crazy."

"Man up, guppy," La'gaan said as he walked by with a plastic cup full of punch. "At least you didn't have to take an urban combat simulation like I did. I had to keep to the shadows and not get caught by the drones, now they sting."

"I heard Garfield's on level two," Virgil told the Atlantian. "First of the freshmen to make it to that level."

"Only because clone boy's been telling him how to beat it. It's the only way he could make it past the first part."

"Man, don't be like that. Gar worked hard. It was just part of his punishment to train that hard with Conner looking over him."

"Hey, now, what's this?" Cassie asked as she rounded the corner with Koriand'r and Wonder Woman. "Shouldn't you three be getting ready for the party?"

Both Cassie and Koriand'r were dressed for the celebration with the blonde wearing a red sweater with her blue jeans and small Christmas tree earrings. Koriand'r wore a similar attire with green leggings and a red sweater with a small mistletoe embroidery on her collar

"We just finished with training," Jaime told her. "We're already on our way."

"Not looking like that I hope. You three need to be more festive."

Looking at their clothing, Virgil, Jaime, and La'gaan simply shrugged. Virgil had on a pair of baggy blue jeans and a football jersey. Jaime wore a white shirt and light blue lounge pants. La'gaan had on a pair of Chinos and his usual Polo shirt.

"This is festive," La'gaan told her. "It has Christmas colors, see? Besides, I'd rather not be here for the alien exes make out session under the mistletoe so I'll be heading home to Poseidonis. We never celebrate Christmas but are getting ready for the New Year coming up, so I have to help my family."

"How do you not celebrate Christmas?"

"How do you celebrate this Christ Mas?" Koriand'r asked. "I still do not understand the meaning of this holiday but I do indeed enjoy all the pretty colors that are used to adorn the walls."

"We'll explain it to you when the party starts," Wonder Woman told the orange girl. "Right now, I'm going to get changed and meet the other League members in the assembly area. I will see you all there."

Taking her leave, Cassie turned her attention to the other two boys. "Okay, I can understand La'gaan wanting to be with his family for their future party, but you two really need to dress appropriately for the event."

"Cass," Virgil said as he stepped up to her. "We don't have any foreseeable missions, we don't have to wear our 'work clothes', and all we want to do is feel comfortable. So unless you have some way of making our clothes Christmassy, we are not changing."

Making their way past the girl wonder, Jaime and Virgil walked with La'gaan to the Zeta Tubes. Cassie crossed her arms and stood with a hip out as a thoughtful look claimed her face.

"Cassandra?" Koriand'r asked. "What precisely qualifies as Christ massy?"

"It's Christmas, one word, Kori. Just remember what I told you, jeans are okay but your top needs to at least have red and or green since those are the traditional colors for Christmas." Turning back to look at the three boys, Cassie knew she was going to get at least two of them to dress for the occasion. It wasn't until she heard the computer announce Zatanna'a arrival via Zeta Tube when she got a smile as wicked as The Grinch himself.

Smallville

December 24, 20:45 UTC

"This is so great!" Running around the interior of Smallville's community center, Garfield took in as much of the brightly lit lights, decorations, food smells, and upbeat music as he could. With his charm tucked safely under his red plaid, button up shirt, the youth was free to go wherever he wished since he could pass as a regular fourteen year old boy. The jeans he wore forced him to reel in his usual amount of leg fur as they pulled on the green strands every now and then, and shoes involved some getting used to as he regularly went barefooted.

People packed the arena to partake in the town's Christmas Eve party with areas designated for eating, games of chance, contests, silent auctions, and face painting. Towards the back of the building was an open floor with couples, some not as well as others, dancing to a live band playing Christmas songs, cheery music, and country classics. Little kids ran around happily with faces either painted or covered in powdered sugar from eating funnel cakes. Some carried balloons taken from the decorations as well as prizes they had won playing the games.

"There you are," Clark said as he spotted the Quarqian boy. "We were wondering where you went off to. We're about to eat and you don't want to miss out on that."

"If I had known Smallville did this every year, I would have begged Conner to bring me along."

Letting out a laugh, the Daily Planet's second best reporter adjusted his glasses. "Truth be told, this is the first time he joined us here."

"What? He never came to your town's party?"

"Nope. We weren't on speaking terms during the first year he was crea…born, and he was never really one for parties to begin with. I was just as surprised when he asked if he could come along this time."

Now walking side by side with Clark, Garfield and the disguised 'Man of Steel' zigzagged between the merry attendants when they ran into Ma Kent. She had on a wide smile and was happily shaking hands with those around her. A large blue ribbon was pinned to her holiday vest with a gold number one printed on it. She waived for her son to come over, hoping he could help her get to their table through the sea of people.

"Looks like I have to save Ma again," Clark told Garfield. "We're sitting just on the outside of the dancing circle near the middle. Tell Lois I'm over here and won't be long."

"No problem." Taking off on his own again, Garfield hurried along when he came to a stop just short of a dart game. He had caught sight of a young girl with dark chopped hair standing at the counter waiting for her set of darts to throw.

Looking around, he blinked several times and tried to get a better look at her but she had turned away from him by now and began to throw her sharpened projectiles at the bulls eye in hopes of popping the balloons hanging there. Her first shot missed the yellow 'jackpot' balloon but managed to pop the blue one below it. Walking up behind her, Garfield tried to get a good look at the girl but failed to do so as she turned to another teen boy by her side. Moving around him, he finally got a good look at her face and let out a sigh. It wasn't who he thought it was.

Watchtower

December 24, 20:50 UTC

"Oh come on, man!" Virgil yelled as he took off a sweater with a large Christmas tree on the front. "There's no end to this!"

Nearby, Jaime was yelling in Spanish as he too ripped off a sweater with Santa Clause on it. Another one took its place with a multitude of elves while Virgil found he was wearing one with a smiling snowman on the front.

"This is a nightmare!" Taking off the new sweater only served Virgil to find another one underneath with small jingle bells dangling from it.

"Worse than that, _ese_, it's real life! It's the never ending God awful Christmas sweaters!"

"There has to be an end to this, there just has to be!"

By now, the two were calf deep in shed Christmas sweaters with the pile rising ever higher. Around thirty sweaters each lay on the floor, causing the teen boys to kick them to the other side of the meeting room they were currently hiding in.

"I give up, it too much!" Accepting defeat, Jaime landed in a chair as he breathed hard from taking off the endless pullovers.

"It's not too much!" Virgil yelled in defiance. "Never give up! There has got to be an end to this. Someone has to have done this to us."

"Who? The only way this could happen if it's a prank done with ma-"

Pausing, both teens slowly turned to look at the other and in one voice said, "Cassie. Magic. Zatanna!"

In the assembly area, most of the League and black ops team were enjoying the time afforded them for the celebration. The Hawks were drinking punch as they conversed with both Green Lanterns, Hal and John. Billy stayed in his teenage form and was heading to the Zeta Beams to spend the rest of the night with his uncle after having a bit of fun with the others. Icon and Rocket were already in their uniforms, getting ready for their shift for watch duty with Plastic Man who was busy snagging a few extra treats from the buffet table where Bart was on his third bowl of Chicken Whizzies.

Laughter came from Barbra and Tim as Wolf tried to lick the peanut butter from the roof of his mouth, the lasting result from being fed a peanut butter topped cracker. Even Sphere was decorated for the party with her outer shell filled with window clings of classic cartoon characters in holiday attire, something Garfield and Bart were responsible for when he, M'gann, and Conner stopped by.

"Cassie!" Jaime yelled as he and Virgil stomped into the, now, party room. "Cassie, where are you!?"

"This isn't funny, Cass!" Virgil joined in. "I look like I stole Freddy Kruger's sweater!"

"What's going on, guys?" Dick asked them as they searched for the Demi-Amazon.

"Have you seen Cassie?" Jaime asked.

"Yeah, she was with Star and Zatanna, why?"

"Cause she had Z-girl cast some sort of mojo on us and now we're stuck wearing God awful Christmas sweaters." To demonstrate what he said, Virgil pulled his red and green stripped one off, only to reveal a reindeer one underneath. "No matter how many we take off, there's always another one under it!"

Letting out a cackle, Dick motioned them to follow him and brought the two to where Cassie was standing. She was expressing how much she loved the decorations to Wonder Woman as Zatanna spoke with Red Tornado and Martian Manhunter, who was eating a plateful of Oreos.

"'Scuse me, Cass," Dick interjected. "Did you have Zee do something to-"

"Yes, yes I did." Seeing no point in letting the team's second in command finish his question, she got right to the point. "They were being sourpusses and wouldn't dress for the party so I asked Zatanna if she would take care of that for me."

"Why did you-" Cutting Virgil off, Zatanna placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Is there a problem, Dick?" The League's magician rose an eyebrow as if she were daring him to challenge her.

"Well, it's just, um, he's on the black ops team and-"

"-Does not outrank the League and must comply with their orders." Zatanna finished for him. "And if you want to continue this conversation, I won't hesitate to do the same to you, Mister Santa hat pin."

"Hey, Santa hats are Christmassy." Dick retorted.

"But a blue shirt, black pants, shoes, and leather jacket, not so much."

Turning to the younger members of the team, Dick gave them a quick nod. "Sorry guys, you're on your own."

"What?" Virgil yelled.

"Why?" added Jaime.

"I learned long ago to never get on a magician's bad side." He flashed his former girlfriend a smile as he backed away.

"Starfire, No!" Across the room, Hawk Woman grabbed the Tamrian's hand and pulled several red berries from it. "That's not for eating."

"But they look like the berries the others are eating at the table of food," Koriand'r said innocently.

"Oh, no, hon. They're from a mistletoe branch."

"Missile toe?"

"Mistletoe, it's a decoration they use on Earth for Christmas," Hawkman explained. "It's deadly if you eat it."

"But a kiss can be deadlier if you mean it, Star," Dick added as he walked past.

"Dude, I'll be right back," Jaime told Virgil as he took off another of his endless sweaters and headed back to the room they were in a few moments ago.

"Hey, where are you going?" Virgil asked as his Hispanic friend headed away from him.

"To see if I have a mistletoe sweater under here. Starfire just gave me an idea."

Looking at the orange skinned girl, Virgil put two and two together and knew Jaime would be attempting to get a kiss from the Tameran. "Hey, wait up!" He was soon taking his sweater off and joining his friend.


	39. Chapter 39

4.

Smallville

December 24, 21:57 UTC

Smallville's annual Christmas Eve party was still going strong with around an hour left, although some of the younger kids were snoozing in their seats. Their bellies were stuffed with so many sweets, they would not have bad dreams for months. The silent auction was nearing its end with people still bidding on prizes. Game booths were shutting own from running out of prizes but the dessert stands were still open and somewhat packed.

The live band was still playing but were performing slow songs for the final hour. Couples from their late teens and up still occupied the dance floor except for Martha and Jonathan Kent who were resting their tired feet from being out there themselves earlier. They sat back and watched Lois and Clark sway back and forth to the soft music and even spotted Garfield a time or two talking with a blonde girl his age. From what they could remember, her name was Terra and was new in town.

"So, Smallville, what are you doing after the shindig?" Snaking her arms around Clark's neck, Lois stroked the back of his head as they slow danced.

"Don't know," Clark answered. Depends on if Ma and Pa need me for anything."

"Still so oblivious. Don't ever change, Clark."

"What do you mean?"

"I was actually hoping you would teach me some farming techniques."

"Why? Do you want to stay over for Christmas? I think they'll love having you."

Letting out a combination of a sigh and a chuckle, Lois shook her head. "Geez, and they say Berry's slow," she muttered. "I meant, if you would show me how you sow oats, at my place, tonight when we get there."

"But you live in the…Oh," Clark's face reddened. "You mean…yeah, sure."

"If it weren't for the innocent farm boy routine, you would almost-"

"Mistletoe." Making her stop mid thought, Clack landed a kiss on her as they stopped in the center of the dance floor where a branch of mistletoe was suspended overhead.

"Brother," Conner said as he and Megan slow danced on the opposite side of the open floor. "Can't believe I was thinking of doing the same thing."

Letting out a giggle, Megan moved her head from his chest and looked up at him. "What did Clark do now?"

"See for yourself." Letting her get a peek at what was happening, Conner slowly moved them to another part of the dance floor.

"It's sweet. And you were thinking of doing that with me?"

"Well, I am a clone. Feels like I'm becoming more and more like him every day."

"You may be a clone, but you your own person, Conner Kon-El Kent. And don't you forget that."

"I take it you won't let that happen then?" he asked as he placed his forehead on hers.

"_You better believe it_." Putting a stop to their verbal conversation, she arched her head up to meet his and the two shared a tender kiss. They were into the intimate gesture for only a second or two when a flash occurred to their right.

"Now this will go in the paper for sure," said a middle aged woman with a camera and a 'Smallville Gazette' name tag on her Christmas vest. "You two look so cute together."

As the woman left to continue taking more photos, the couple found themselves blushing slightly from being photographed like they were.

"She's right, you do look good," Conner told Megan who wore a blue bandana tank dress with a pair of cowboy boots and bangles.

"You're not too shabby yourself." She tugged gently on the lapels of his long sleeved western shirt as the current song ended.

Feedback from the microphone filed the building as a large an in a Santa suit, sans beard, came on stage with several cards in hand. It was clear he had a fake tan as his skin was had taken on a strange orange tint. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have the winners of the silent auction. Ticket numbers eleven, forty three, five, fifty two, one thirty, eighty seven, ninety three, one o eight, nine, and one fifty nine, have all won in the gift card category. Please come up here and claim your prizes. Again those numbers are eleven, forty three, five, fifty two, one thirty, eighty seven, ninety three, one o eight, nine, and one fifty nine. You have all won gift cards so come on up here and claim your prizes."

At the sound of number five being called, Megan smiled happily as she looked up at Conner.

"You won something, right?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yep. Be right back."

As she ran off to pick up her winnings, Lois came up from behind Conner and whispered in his ear as he grinned at how happy the Martian was. "Just a heads up, I asked Jenny to send me a copy of the picture she took of you and Megan."

Conner quickly turned to the Daily Planet's number one reporter as she winked at him and wrapped an arm around Clarks. "Top reporter, kid, we get the scoop on everything."

"And believe me," Clark said, "That's only one of the things she does extremely well."

Chicago

December 24, 22:51 UTC

**Recognized, Beast Boy, B-Nineteen. Miss Martian, B-Zero Five. Superboy, B-Zero Four. All Zeta activity for this area is now shut down due to atmospheric conditions.**

Exiting the disguised Zeta Tube located in a scrap yard, the three team members were surprised to arrive in the middle of a light blizzard. Despite having on jackets, they still felt the icy bite of the frozen air with snow up to their ankles.

"Now I wish I had worn boots instead of shoes," Garfield said through chattering teeth. "My feet are freezing." Concentrating, he made a thick layer of fur grow over his feet to add to the thick socks he wore. "Ah, that's better. Toe-sty, get it?"

"Heck of a time for the Zeta tubes to shut down," Conner said as he secured the door to the transporter. "Can't get home."

"You can stay with us! Sis won't mind, right?"

Moving some of her hair from her face, Megan looked over at Conner and smiled. "The offer's always open."

Giving her that near invisible grin of his, Conner nodded then zipped up his leather jacket. "Tha-" He was immediately cut off by a snowball to the face.

"Enough of the sweetness, you two," Garfield said as he palmed a snowball and grinned. "You're giving me caviti-" Another snowball was thrown and struck him in the mouth.

"You asked for it, Gar," Megan giggled. Making several snowballs hover into the air, the disguised Martian's eyes shimmered green as she aimed them at her blood brother when another snowball smacked her in the neck. "Conner!"

"What? You're the only one not hit." Bending down, the semi-Kryptonian made another snowball. The moment he pulled his arm back to throw it, he was met with a barrage of packed snow, covering him from the chest up.

"You really want to start a fight with a telekinetic?" Raising several more snow spheres behind her, Megan smirked at her boyfriend. Her skin turned back to green as she looked into his blue eyes, the only other color amongst the pure white snow.

All three were in a standoff, Garfield with three snowballs, one in each hand and one being held by his prehensile tail. Conner, after clearing himself of the snow, had a snowball in each hand. M'gann not only held two frozen projectiles, but also had ten more floating behind her. The next half hour was filled with not only the laughter of the blood brother and sister, but the uncharacteristic laugher of the normally quiet Kryptonian.

Gotham City

December 24, 23:27 UTC

Leaving the party at the Watchtower earlier than anticipated, Zatanna wasted no time in turning in for the night. It had been fun while she was there, but the late arrival of Doctor Fate reminded her too much of her father. Not having him around for the other days of the year was hard enough but on Christmas, when one was supposed to spend time with their loved ones, it was that much more harder for her.

Dreams didn't come normally to Zatanna. When they did, it was usually of small things such as her experiences as a child. Rarely did she dream of people, but tonight was different for some reason.

As she slept soundly, she saw herself in a glowing blue room with no walls or ceiling. Had it not have been for her footprints lightly tapping the floor with every step, she would have sworn she was hovering. Everywhere she looked was the same with no differences at all in the monotonous sea of blue. She was in her League outfit, a black and white magician costume, which surprised her due to she has never had a dream like this before.

"Hello?" Her voice echoed the moment the word left her mouth. "Hello?!"

A bright yellow light appeared out of nowhere, floating around like a gnat as it came close to her face. Swatting at it did no god as it phased through her hand before flying several feet away from her then increased its brightness to a blinding level. Zatanna had no choice but to shield her face from the light when a booming voice echoed around her.

"Is that anyway to greet your father?"

"Dad?" Opening her eyes and lowering her arms, Zatanna looked to where the voice came from to see the body of her father in his tuxedo ensemble with Doctor Fate's helmet still on. He took hold of the mystical covering and removed it. "Daddy?"

"It is good to see you, daughter." Now without the helmet, Zatara reached out and took his only child in his arms. "How I missed holding you."

"Dad," Zatanna wept. "I missed you so much." She held onto him tightly and cried into his shoulder. "Please don't let this be just a dream."

"Fate heard your words before you left and I had a little one on one chat with him. So rest easy, this is not a dream. I'm really here, in your mind…for the time being."

"What? But-"

"Zatanna, I can only stay so long. I convinced Fate to let me have one night, one dream to see you."

"But dad, I…" Hugging her father again, Zatanna refused to let him go.

"I wish things could be different, but I can only stay one night." He kissed her on the forehead. "Now, until the morning comes, let's make up for lost time."

With a wave of his hand, Zatara had their clothing changed to the dress they wore in the picture back in The Tower of Fate. He wore a pair of slacks with a navy blue, short sleeve collared shirt. His daughter wore a pair of off-white capris and a pastel purple tank top with her hair tied back with a red ribbon.

"This, this is what I wore-"

"-During your last birthday with me," her father finished for her. "I was so happy for you on that day, Zatanna. And every day since, you have made me so incredibly proud of the beautiful, strong, intelligent woman you have become."

Tears welled up in her eyes at her father's words as he took her by the hand. A bright sliver of white light then appeared as a rift in their blue surroundings opened.

"Merry Christmas, Zatanna," Zatara said as he lead her into the light to relive old memories and make a few more before the sun rises.

"Merry Christmas, daddy."

Back in the real world, Zatanna slept peacefully in her large bed. A smile developed on her face with a single tear falling down her cheek.

Chicago

December 24, 23:47 UTC

"Is this going to be enough for you?" Carrying in several blankets, M'gann handed them to Conner as he laid out a couple of pillows on the sofa in the living room of her apartment. They had taken turns showering and she had gotten in last. She then morphed into a pair of blue lounge pants and matching spaghetti tank top and wrapped a towel around her head before she came out. "And are you sure you don't mind sleeping on the couch?"

As the team's male powerhouse moved his clothing to the side of the couch, she was glad her uncle still had a pair of lounge pants for Conner to borrow for the night. Even though he could morph his skin into clothing like his niece could, he often kept clothing of different materials to mimic better. But just like always, since she met Conner, he refused to wear a shirt to sleep, not that she minded.

"Yeah, I don't mind," Conner answered as he took the offered blankets and ran a hand through his drying hair. "Besides, there's nowhere else besides your rooms."

Blushing, M'gann turned to the side and took the towel she had wrapped around her hair off, letting her short hair air dry the rest of the way.

"You can have my room," Garfield said as he popped his shoulders. He was in a pair of knit shorts and a shirt. "I don't mind sleeping on the couch. I can turn into a dog and curl up next to the arm rest."

Catching what the boy did, Conner knew he wasn't looking at him but at something else entirely. "You just want to be the first under that tree, don't you?"

Unsuccessfully trying to hide a grin, the green boy began to snicker slightly. "Maaaaayyyybe." After receiving a light nudge from Conner and giving a nudge back, M'gann ushered him to bed and wished her boyfriend a goodnight as she turned off the switch to the Christmas tree.

With everyone in bed and the apartment quiet, one would think sleep would come easy, that was not the case for the man lying on the couch who starred out the window into the steadily falling snow outside. He had tossed and turned into different positions but couldn't get to sleep. It wasn't as if the couch was uncomfortable, it was just he wasn't feeling tired in the least. He let out a sigh as he flipped over to his back and put his hands behind his head. He had just closed his eyes when he felt a familiar nudge in his mind and let the Martian girl in.

"_Conner_?" M'gann asked over their telepathic link. "_Are you uncomfortable out there_?"

"_No_," he responded.

"_Is it too cold? Or too hot? I can adjust the temperature if that's the case_."

"_No, it's fine. Just don't feel tired right now_."

"_Are you feeling like Gar and can't wait until morning for presents_?"

Chuckling mentally, Conner shook his head, even though he knew she couldn't see him. "_No, you know I was never one to get excited for things like that_."

"_Liar_," she giggled. "_I knew you were just as excited to celebrate Christmas and your birthdays. I never had to read your mind to know how you felt_."

"_If you did, you would have known I was happy you were happy_." He paused for a moment as he looked up at the ceiling. "_Sorry I don't have your gift here. It's back in Smallville_. _If it wasn't for this blizzard_-"

"_It's okay, Conner. Just as long as I have you here_, _that's plenty. I'm just glad you forgave me for…you know_."

It was instantaneous. She could feel their mind link sever a moment after she sent her last thought to him. She tried nudging at his mind again but he wouldn't let her in. "_Conner? Conner, did I say something wro_-"

A light rapping on her door stopped her from engaging the mental link again. Moving the warm blankets off her, M'gann slipped out of bed and floated to her bedroom door where she was surprised to see Conner standing on the other side.

"Um, yeah? Did you need anything?" She blushed slightly at the sight of his bare torso in front of her.

"It's…actually kinda…cold in there." Again, that grin only she could see formed on his face.

Returning his grin, M'gann stepped back to allow him entry to her bedroom. It was just like when they were back in Mount Justice and were alone when they began dating. Both shared a single bed with her nestled close to him as he wrapped his arms around her, only this time they didn't have to wake up before training began or the others arrived.

"Merry Christmas, Conner," she whispered sleepily as she rested her head on his chest.

"Merry Christmas, M'gann," he whispered just as sleep filled.

Chicago

December 25, 9:58 UTC

Normally by this time the green skinned siblings would already be up and on a mission or at Watchtower. With it being Christmas, they, along with the other League and black ops members were allowed a bit of leniency for the holiday season but were required to move out at a moment's notice.

The first one up was M'gann. Waking in Conner's arms was a great way for her to start her day. Carefully, she lifted her head to check the time by mentally lifting her alarm clock. After stealing a peck on the lips, she phased through his arms and landed on the floor to check on her blood brother, all the while smiling brightly. With her boyfriend and brother still sleeping, she went ahead and started breakfast, a usual wakeup call for her friends when they still lived in the cave. She felt like going all out this morning and went to work preparing chocolate chip pancakes with eggs, bacon, and hash browns.

Waking up to the smell of bacon cooking a few minutes later, Conner stretched and flexed as he rolled over in his girlfriend's bed. He had to admit; he missed holding her at night and had actually slept peacefully last night doing so.

Sitting up, he mowed a hand through his hair, which had flattened overnight, and rubbed his eyes as he got up and opened the bedroom door when he heard the sound of the toilet flushing and the bathroom door opening. Stepping into the shallow hallway, Garfield rubbed his eyes and stopped in his tracks when he saw who was coming out of his sister's room.

Neither moved as their eyes locked on each other until Conner rubbed the back of his neck. "Um…"

"You just get up?" Garfield asked.

"Gar-"

"And you didn't sleep on the couch."

"Gar-"

"But you slept in sis' room."

"Garfield, it's-"

"In the same bed as her."

By now, Conner's face had turned red from being caught in this predicament. "Nothing happened. We just-"

"Say no more and no need to thank me," Garfield said with a satisfied grin. "My job here is done." Before Conner could say anything more, the green youth headed to the living room.

"Boys?" M'gann called. "Breakfast is ready."

"Presents!" Garfield yelled back.

"Breakfast."

"Presents!"

"Breakfast."

"Presents!"

"One present then breakfast."

"Thanks, sis!"

Shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose, Conner questioned if this could get any more awkward when a knock at the front door summoned M'gann to answer it.

"Uncle J'onn! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you too, M'gann. Merry Christmas to you, Garfie-"

Looking past his pajama clad niece from a hug, the hero known as Martian Manhunter spotted a half-naked Conner Kent still in the doorway to M'gann's room.

It just got more awkward.

**AN: Gee, all these good things happening to the group…kinda makes ya think what's going to happen next…don't it?**


	40. Chapter 40

5.

War World

December 30, 17:59 UTC

Deep within the planet-like fortress, a large throne sized command chair faced a wall sized viewing screen of Earth's solar system. Some thousands of miles away lay the red planet Mars beyond the asteroid belt splitting the solar system in half.

A gloved hand rested on an armrest of the command seat with its owner staring at the screen with an evil grin. A metallic crown-like construct sat on his brow, allowing him complete control of War World and everything within.

Breathing steadily, the man, Vandal Savage, mentally ordered the screen to increase zoom on his target, bringing Earth into view along with its moon, the International Space Station, and the Justice League's orbital Watchtower. Several crosshairs appeared on the screen, encircling a series of preselected targets and registering a lock-on reticle. A clock appeared on the upper right side of the screen with the current time in hours, minutes, and seconds. It counted down to the predetermined time Savage had calculated before he ever arrived at his current position when it struck eighteen hundred hours precisely and his evil grin turned outright devilish.

"It's time." At his words, a maze of several hundred yellow lines lit up across the command room floor, walls, and ceiling.

Watchtower

December 31, 20:37 UTC

"Go long, go long!"

"I'm wide open!"

"That's not a five second count!"

"Bart, no powers!"

"Telling a speedster not to use powers is like telling a turtle he can't use his shell!"

"Cass, get ope-GAH!"

"Whoo Hoo! Tackled a bat boy!"

"Neptune's beard, I was wide open for the touchdown!"

"Not with me behind you, you weren't. Guardian of the innocent, Guardian of the endzone."

"Come on, come on. Next touchdown wins, I'm hungry."

"Berry, when are you not hungry?"

"While I'm eating."

The watchtower forest room was full of activity as both the League and black ops team was busy celebrating New Year's Eve. Several of the members from each team played a pickup game of football while others conversed at the foldable tables as they ate catered food provided by The Dark Knight as he did every year. Currently Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman were on Earth holding a press conference at UN headquarters on the events of the past year. Everything was covered from the lack of appearances from several of the members, to attacks from supervillians, and of course The Reach invasion and near end of the world. Blue Beetle was brought up and asked if he were trying to be a spokesperson or liaison between the League and The Reach and had to be handled carefully.

All through the day, squads were dispatched to only a handful of emergencies around the world. It was slow, has been slow since the start of December with a sudden drop in criminal activity, a fact which did not sit well with Batman. G. Gordon Godfry did not help matters as he continued his rants on the negatives of having heroes. He was a large reason why the top members of the Justice League were having the press conference to begin with as public sentiments about any vigilante has dropped dramatically. Even Superman was not immune to this as he was seen as a potential world ending threat.

**Recognized, Superman, zero one, Wonder Woman, zero three, Aquaman, zero six.**

Descending the steps leading to the open assembly area of the orbital base of the League and black ops team, three of the League's heavy hitters responsible for the press conference looked as if they wanted to be anywhere else but a New Year's celebration. All but Batman decided to stop by momentarily before going home or on patrol in their chosen cities.

"Can you believe the assumptions those representatives accused us of?" Aquaman asked. "That we are responsible for the creation of supervillians? All I ever wanted to do was make sure my people were taken care of, to keep the oceans of Earth protected against any threat."

"It is something I relate to, Orin," Wonder Woman sighed. "As ambassador of my people, I too wish to protect my land from corruption. I had no hand in the creation of those wanting to bring chaos and destruction to innocent lives."

"And yet I can't help but think in a way, we are responsible for some of their creation." Superman's words brought the other two to a stop.

"You can't be serious," Aquaman said flatly.

"I'm not saying we directly created every would be dictator or world conquer out there. But throughout history, with every system of law, government, or authority figure created, there have always been those who think they can bring them down, to create a dystopia out of a utopia simply for the reason of how they do not or choose not to conform to it."

"While I agree with you on that, I refuse to think every criminal out there would have been created due to us," Wonder Woman told him. "If we were not around, there surely would be a Riddler, a Lex Luthor, a Poison Ivy, or others."

"But there may not be a Joker or Cheetah if we weren't around."

"The way I see it," Aquaman stated, "we are only one side to a continuing fight between two opposing forces that have been around from the beginning of time. Just think of what a world without a Superman would be like."

"That is something I think about every day I wake up." Looking over to the hologram of the world with its designated New Year positions marked, Superman let out a sigh. "What would the world be like without beings like us?"

Placing a hand on the Kryptonian's shoulder, Wonder Woman gave it a comforting squeeze. "Hopefully it would still be a world worth living in."

In the forest room, the pregnant Artemis hung her cell phone up and attempted to stand from the table she occupied when a bright flash blinded her.

"Agh, what the?" Rubbing her eyes, the blonde archer heard laughter coming from the front of her. "Zatanna?"

"Had to get a shot of the expecting mother." Resting her camera on the table, she held out an arm to help Artemis to her feet. "Don't tell me you're leaving now."

"Yeah, I promised my mom I would be home before midnight, plus I'm starting to crave some left over Ô mai."

"What's that?"

"Sugar dried Apricots. Believe it or not, Jade made them. She still has me listed as her babysitter after I, in her words, pop out a little archer assassin."

"Don't know what's worse, an assassin for a sister or an assassin in training for a niece."

"I'll tell you this much," Artemis said as she took one last drink of her fruit punch, "no assassin, no matter how good they are, holds a candle to a woman with mood swings. I can only guess at what she went through with Lian."

"The thought actually sends shivers down my spine," Zatanna joked. "No wonder Roy wasn't around for those nine months."

"He would have been a human pin cushion for sure. Come on, walk with me. I need someone to help me up the steps."

As both girls talked and headed to the Zeta Tubes, M'gann and J'onn flew in from the third story platform, finished from watch duty as Red Tornado, who volunteered, took their place.

"So, what is your resolution for the new year?" J'onn asked once they landed. They then morphed into their civilian attire, a tailored suit for the elder Martian and a pair of skinny jeans and a yellow shirt for his niece.

"To not take anything for granted for starters," M'gann replied. She then saw Garfield balancing on Sphere as the self-aware machine rolled around until he fell off. Billy took his place afterwards in an attempt to outlast the youngest member of the team in a makeshift game resembling riding a mechanical bull. "And to show those closest to me how much I care about them every day."

"Those are good resolutions to choose, M'gann," J'onn said. "I hope you and the others live up to the ones they have chosen."

Looking over at the man-made lake, the Martians saw La'gaan enjoying a swim with Karen and Mal just climbing out of the water. A loud splash occurred as Wolf dove into the water to retrieve a ball Conner had thrown. M'gann noticed the red sphere wasn't thrown at the man-fish like Conner had done previously to mess with him shortly after she started dating the Atlantian and thought maybe they had buried the hatchet after all.

As time went on, some of the team and League headed home, leaving only a handful behind. Dick was sitting at a table with Bart, Virgil, and Hal as they played a game of Black Jack. Tim had left after getting a call from Batman along with Barbra. Most of the League was gone, leaving J'onn, Doctor Fate, Dinah, Zatanna, and Oliver to act as chaperones with Red Tornado monitoring Earth's frequencies. Of the team, Garfield, Cassie, Wolf, La'gaan, Jaime, Sphere, Conner, and M'gann were all that remained for the approaching New Year.

Leaving the forest room for the assembly area, the new year welcomers waited for the final few minutes to tick away, which was displayed on a large digital holographic clock. Ginger ale and sparkling grape cider was poured, mostly for the ones who were under age, into champagne glasses. Live video feds of celebrations around the world played in front of the glass separating the inside of the station from the vastness of space as each hero took a glass in hand.

"Out with the old and in with the new," La'gaan said.

"And hopefully the new will be better than the old," added Jaime.

"I hear that." Holding out his glass, La'gaan and Jaime clinked them together.

"Bart, when are you going to move that machine of yours?" Dinah asked.

"After I see what B-man wants to do with it." Zipping back to the food table in the forest room, the new Kid Flash grabbed a bowl of left over popcorn and dashed back over to the others. "I'm still listing what goes where and keeping track of how it's assembled. Slow process but I manage."

"Okay everyone," Oliver announced. "We have thirty seconds left of the old year. Make your resolutions now."

"Hey, Conner," La'gaan said as he walked up to one of the first members of the black ops team and extended his hand. "Happy new year. No hard feelings?"

Looking down at the Atlantean's webbed hand, Conner switched hands he was holding his glass in and shook it. "No hard feelings. Happy new year, La'gaan."

Coming together in front of the multitude of screens and digital clock, the sixteen, including Red Tornado who kept watch via a wireless link with the monitoring room's computers began to count down the remaining seconds with Sphere and Wolf taking positions alongside them. Dinah and Oliver stood together as Cassie, Jaime, Virgil, La'gaan, and Bart stood with their arms around each other's shoulders. J'onn patted Wolf on the head while Zatanna stood next to Sphere and her father. M'gann stood at Conner's side with a hand on his chest and his arm wrapped around her back while Garfield got a front row seat to see all the fireworks go off on the screens with Dick and Hal close by.

"Ten," They all began counting down as one. "Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Happy New Year!"

Turning to Dinah, Oliver bent down to give her a traditional New Year's kiss but was surprised she had beat him to the punch and pulled him down by the neck to give him one first. The group of newer members toasted each other as the team's future and drank their ginger ale. Garfield gawked at the amount of fireworks erupting on the screens as Wolf howled and Sphere beeped happily. Towards the back, Conner and M'gann kissed, she was actually floating from how happy she was, and Dick received a peck on the cheek form his former girlfriend.

Everyone was in good spirits as music filled the room from the monitor showing the New York New Year's Rocking Eve extravaganza when the alarms went off. Everyone looked up at the emergency display to see a map showing the Earth, Watchtower, and several incoming objects.

"Can you get visual?" Dick yelled at Red Tornado who used his cybernetic uplink to change the monitor to a live shot of the incoming objects.

"My scanners are picking up a barrage of missiles heading in our direction." Joining Conner at the window, Red Tornado and the Kryptonian used their enhanced vision to see what they were dealing with. "Brace for impact!"

No one thought of how the missiles had gotten past their primary scanners. No one thought of how the missiles were only picked up by the motion trackers, leaving them with hardly any time to react. All anyone thought of was getting themselves and each other to safety.

Doctor Fate and Hal were the first ones to react by shielding the base with their powers but it was to no avail. Doctor Fate's ankh was bypassed as the missiles swerved to avoid it entirely and hit Hal's solid wall construct. They were so powerful that they blew it apart with more coming in afterwards. Doctor Fate managed to stop them just short of the Watchtower but it was just enough for them to take damage. Hal quickly created another construct, this time a thicker version of the wall he used to stop the next wave of ballistics when several bright lights appeared around them forming Boom Tubes.

"Gar, get back!" M'gann yelled as she took to the air with Cassie and Zatanna.

La'gaan had puffed himself up by this point with Jaime completely covered in armor. Dick had pulled out his utility bet from under his coat and wrapped it around his waist. Conner took a defensive position beside Oliver, Dinah, and Wolf as the others waited for anything to happen when an army of grotesque creatures flew in from the portals.

"What the-"

"Fight now, question later!"

"They're everywhere, man!"

"Dinah, behind you!"

"Oliver, look out!"

"Get off of me!"

"They have claws!"

"Watch out for their weapons!"

"Red Tornado's down!"

"My leg! Naaagggghhhhhh!"

It was chaos as the creatures attacked viciously. Each looked to be the same with insect-like wings to give them flight. Large red eyes seemed to glow from their horned heads as they zeroed in on their targets with wide mouths full of sharpened teeth drooled when they opened. Three clawed fingers held onto metal spears, which fired an energy blast capable of leaving scorch marks in the metal of the base. Their black armored bodies withstood attacks from both Conner and Cassie as well as shots from Hal's Green Lantern ring and Virgil's electric attacks. A piercing cry from Dinah knocked several of them back but the insect-like creatures just kept coming.

"Cassie!" Jaime yelled as he saw three of the creatures dog pile the blonde with their spears jabbing at her. He targeted and fired a sonic blast to clear them off just in time for him to be struck on the back by a red energy blast.

**Jaime Reyes, analysis of the creatures energy weapons have been identified as Apocalyptic in origin. The same type used by the ones called, Intergang.**

"Oh that's just great!" Flipping around, Jaime got off a shot from his staple gun and managed to pin one of the creatures to the wall beside the Zeta Tubes. "Guys, they're using Apocalyptic weapons!"

"Great, just what we need!" Zatanna shouted before she spoke backwards and caused a net to drop on several of the intruders. She picked up something else about them, something familiar in their auras.

With a growl, Wolf attacked one of the creatures, biting its arm and forcing it to relinquish its weapon. It was about to strike back with its claws when a green condor dug its talons in its face. Sphere had turned into her supercycle mode and began blasting every enemy she could when several landed on her back. The living machine took off and performed various aerial maneuvers in an effort to lose them.

"I got 'em!" Virgil yelled whe he saw Sphere in trouble and blasted two of the creatures off her.

"These things are nasty!" Oliver grunted as he fought one off using one of Dick's spare Eskirma sticks. "Teaches me to set my spare crossbow down for New Year's."

"Get over here!" Conner yelled as he tackled one of the beings from the sky. He slammed its head into the ground when another one came at him from behind and lifted him up. It punched him in the back of the head before throwing him into a wall.

"I hate these things." Another one of the intruders charged the Kryptonian and was met with a boot to the face when another one attacked without giving him a moment's notice. It took a swipe at Conner's abdomen, making his yell in pain before grabbing it by the wings and punching it in the head.

It wasn't right. His stomach felt wet. When he looked down, he saw a dark spot appear on his dark colored shirt and three slices to the fabric. Beneath the garment were three long gashes with blood seeping out of them. "They…they cut me?"

Diving to where Red Tornado was, Dick grabbed the android's head while continuing to fight off the intruders. "RT, can you get the rest of the League and team here?"

"Negative," Red Tornado responded. "Communications are down. We have no way of reaching them for backup. It would be wise to retreat to the Zeta Tubes or hanger at this time."

As suddenly as it started, the attack stopped. One of the creatures let out a screech and flew to the glass where the group stood in front of only moments before. The others of its kind soon joined it, clinging to its surface by their hands and feet as their wings fluttered like a wasp's.

"What's going on?" Bart asked as he stood up and held his shoulder, which was bleeding profusely.

"Why'd they stop?" Cassie asked as she landed with her rope in her hand.

"Nobody make any sudden moves," Dinah instructed. "Just back away to the hanger. We'll take the bioship out of here. We cannot win this fight."

"Hal, can you and Doctor Fate do something to trap them here?" Oliver asked as he picked up his spare crossbow.

"Sure, we can keep them here," Hal answered.

"Conner," M'gann whispered once she made sure Garfield was okay.

"I know," he said, knowing she was staring at his bleeding midsection.

"You're-"

"I know."

As the heroes moved away from the creatures, the sound of their wings buzzing increased. As it did so, the creatures themselves began to glow brightly until they were completely white.

"Please tell me they're not gonna-" Before Virgil could finish, the creatures exploded one by one, causing holes to form in the thick glass.

Once again, bedlam ensued the group as the vacuum of space began to suck out anything not bolted to the floor. Images of 'Total Recall' entered most of their minds when the stars heads threatining to explode from being in space. Both Conner and Cassie took deep breaths, their super strength enabling them to hold their breaths longer then most. Both Martians increased their lung capacity, making them capable of holding their breath as long, or longer, than the other two. Not needing to worry about breathing in space, Doctor Fate and Hal were protected by their powers.

Thinking fast, Hal Jordan donned his Green Lantern uniform and created a scissor lift construct to prevent the others from tumbling out, although it was too late for Doctor Fate who was the first to enter space. It wasn't long until he was surrounded by the creatures who began to detonate around him.

"Dad!" Zatanna yelled when she saw her father disappear in a bright light. Sphere was the next to enter space with Wolf right behind her. It was sheer luck he was caught by Cassie with her rope wrapping around his body.

Down to his last two fingers, La'gaan tried to maintain his grip on Hal's construct. He felt the last of his strength give way as his fingers slipped and he felt himself become weightless. If it wasn't for someone's hand grabbing his wrist the moment his fingers left the green construct, he would have become Atlantian space junk.

"Come on," Conner growled as he pulled the human fish up to the construct.

"Hal, the window!" Dinah yelled.

"Working on it!" Pushing the group away from the window, Hal formed another construct to cover the damaged glass.

"Everyone, get to the hanger!" Hal ordered as more of the creatures landed on the created barrier. Several more Boom Tubes opened, letting in even more of the self-destructing intruders.

"Come on, get up." Lifting La'gaan up, Conner slung one of his arms around his shoulder to help him to the hanger bay as the Atlantian held onto his side.

"Forget the hanger," Dick yelled. "We have to chance the Zeta Tubes!"

"Zeta Tubes are damaged," M'gann told him as she fought off one of the enemies. "There's no way to know where we would end up.

"Oh heck, he's got my vote!" Firing a bolt, Oliver managed to injure one of the attacking creatures.

"Bart, we are leaving!" Conner yelled as he helped La'gaan to the Zeta Tubes.

Fighting off some more of the creatures, Bart tried his best to provide cover for the others to get the more injured out. He managed to keep several steps ahead of them when he received a blast to the face from one of their spear weapons. Flying back, the speedster landed in the cockpit of his time machine as another attacker couched in front of him and let out a shriek as it turned white. The resulting explosion was enough to knock the machine off its mounts and send it into the malfunctioning Zeta Tubes where it disappeared in the bright white light.

Another creature exploded on the glass, creating the vacuum all over again and this time, it was Garfield who found himself hurtling toward space. "M'gann!" he yelled as he flew to the window.

"Gar!" Reaching out with her telekinesis, the Martian girl tried to catch her blood brother but was attacked from behind. She was sent forward when another creature landed a hard punch to her face, forcing her unconscious body to fly towards a Zeta Tube and disappear.

Both Dick and Oliver fired a zip line to the tubes, they were the next to evacuate with Dinah and Cassie, who held onto Wolf.

Struggling to maintain his grip on the edge of one of the Zeta Tubes, Conner refused to let his fishy teammate go. Holding on tight, he nodded in his direction then hurled him into the white light. He saw the others make a mad dash for the tubes while Hal tried to buy them time by patching up the holes in the glass.

"Hal!"

"Conner, go! I'm right behind you!"

"But-"

"Just go! That's an order!"

Another explosion occurred near the Kryptonian, knocking him into the tube behind him where he disappeared.

"Batman's not gonna like this," Hal said as he formed a green bubble construct around him to keep the creatures at bay. "Watchtower, self-preservation sequence, one two delta niner. Activate now!"

A few seconds later, the Watchtower assembly area exploded.

**AN: Vandal's back with War World…The team's been attacked…Zeta Tubes are on the fritz…Doctor Fate's disappeared…Garfield's been sucked into space…Watchtower has been destroyed…and just like the show, I'm leaving this on a short hiatus lasting for two to three months.**

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**PSYCHE! I'm still gonna keep up with my posting schedule as best I can. And thanks again for all the comments, favs, and reviews!**


	41. Part Nine: Loss - Chapter 41

**AN: So I take it you all liked the end of roughly the first half of my version of season three. It's all downhill from now on. **

**Again, thanks for all the reviews, it's always great to hear from everyone reading this. On a side note, to AirBorne(Guest), I have already chosen which characters will be in this from the get go, then again, I wouldn't be surprised if some others did make an appearance. (From what some reviewers have asked, nearly all of the ones they asked for will pop in, in due time at this point. And Eric the Looney, I like that theory you had on Mongol and haven't thought of that. I could actually fit that in later on cause it could make sense in the YJ show.**

Part 9: Loss

1.

Metropolis

January 1, 00:57 UTC

"_This is Cat Grant of GNN News Network. I'm here live in Metropolis where the city as well as the world has been brought to a standstill due to a large fireball in the sky_."

Standing in the middle of Metropolis, the lead anchor for Godfry News Network went from covering the New Year's celebration to reporting on a mysterious fire in the sky. Thousands of people on the streets and on building tops faced upwards while commenting what opinions they had.

"Did you see? That had to be the ISS."

"No, it must have been a satellite falling to Earth, burned up in the atmosphere."

"What if it was the space base the League stay in?"

"Space base? What are you, five? It's space station."

"The end is neigh!"

"What if Godfry was right and they were plotting something against us."

"Serves them right if it blew up in their faces."

"What if the Reach are back and they destroyed the League?"

"_Early reports_," Cat continued, "_have identified the explosion to be the International Space Station orbiting Earth as well as the much debated Watchtower, orbital base for the Justice League. We have yet to get any confirmation on the true cause of the explosion, which happened less than twenty minutes ago but many astronomers are turning to satellite imagery as well as their powerful telescopes to find out what it truly was we are witnessed to_."

Hawaii

January 1, 00:59 UTC

Stepping out onto the deck of her bungalow, Tana looked up at the sky as her father grabbed an old telescope to look up at where the fireball was with the news playing loudly over the TV inside the house.

"_Again, we have no news on what it was that has exploded in Earth's atmosphere but are working diligently on getting whatever information we can. I want to stress to those at home that the explosion occurring in the sky was not within Earth's atmosphere but is in fact in the planet's orbit, but do not write off the possibility of falling de- wait a moment…I'm getting word on one of the Green Lanterns, no, make that two, two of the Green Lanterns have been seen already in the sky flying at high speed…okay, now I'm getting Superman has been reported as joining them_."

Dakota City

January 1, 01:03 UTC

"That's something you don't see every day." Standing outside on a cliff just outside of Dakota City, Jinx looked up at the sky as fighter jets from the nearest air force base were scrambled.

"Isn't that your friend's place?" Red X asked as he exited the Outlaws mountain base with Roy and Jason.

"Do you think it's Watchtower?" Jason asked as he looked at the other former team member.

"Don't know," Roy replied. "Can't hack into the systems anymore. Either a satellite's down, or that was Watchtower.

Narrowing his eyes, Jason turned to head back into the hidden cave base. "Gear up. We have work to do."

Gotham City

January 1, 01:05 UTC

Inside the Wayne Mansion, Alfred Pennyworth tried to gather the guests for Bruce Wayne's charity New Year's Ball and have them settle down in the party room. For all they knew, Bruce Wayne had stepped out for one of his usual 'drives' around Gotham, leaving Alfred in his stead. In actuality, he was on a quick patrol with Robin and Batgirl when the news came in. An alarm went off in his cowl when the Watchtower's motion sensors picked up on several incoming objects before shutting off. Now heading back, The Dark Knight's signature Batmobile tore down the streets of the city with the news playing as Robin sat in the passenger's seat trying to raise anyone in the Watchtower while Batgirl followed on her motorcycle.

"_Vikki Vale reporting in on the mysterious explosion in the sky. Early reports indicated one of Earth's satellites or quite possibly the International Space Station was destroyed but those two possibilities have been proven wrong as Houston and Cape Canaveral have confirmed the Justice League's Watchtower has been destroyed. No word yet of if any members of the League were in there but with the presence of Two Green Lanterns, Superman, and now Captain Marvel, Icon, some kind of…orange female, and Rocket, we are left here to assume the worst_."

"Can't raise anyone present during the explosion," Robin said as he manned a computer and his cell phone.

"How many and who were up there?" Batman asked as he gunned the vehicle even more.

"Seven League members, Green Lantern Hal Jordan, Black Canary, Red Tornado, Green Arrow, Doctor Fate, Martian Manhunter, and Zatanna with eleven from the team, Kid Flash, Superboy, Blue Beetle, Lagoon Boy, Beast Boy, Static, Wonder…Wonder Girl, Miss Martian, and…and Nightwing. Wolf and Sphere were up there as well. Eighteen in all. I can't raise the security footage and it seems as if everything's offline."

"Eighteen," Batman mumbled. He then typed in a command into the dash mounted controls to the cave, bringing up an image of the Batshuttle and had it prepped for takeoff. "Once we get to the cave, I want you two to monitor all channels to the Watchtower and both League and black ops team members. I will join the others on a search and rescue mission. Have Alfred send everyone home and use the spare Batcave in Metropolis as a fall back spot should there be injured."

"Ye-yes," Robin said. He felt numb knowing not only his friends but girlfriend as well could be lost in the explosion.

Outside behind the Batmobile, Batgirl didn't notice her hands gripped the handlebars tighter than usual. She couldn't account where she had been as she focused on her friends in the station and on her missing partner, Nightwing. She felt guilty hoping at least he was safe and had gotten out before the explosion above the others.

Batcave

January 1, 01:13 UTC

With the massive steel door to the hidden base of Batman's operations allowing the vigilantes entrance, both vehicles came to a screeching stop in the large parking area before the Batcomputer and Zeta Tube. The headlights of both vehicles lit up the entire front part of the cave as well as two figures lying on the ground in front of a now damaged Zeta Tube.

No sooner had the top of the Batmobile opened when Batman leapt out and ran over to the two. Both were sprawled out on the floor and faced away from the vehicles, not moving in the slightest. Turning over the first one he came to, Batman found it was Oliver Queen. He coughed as he tried to breathe and sounded as if his lung was collapsed.

"Dick!" Batgirl yelled as she turned over the body of her friend.

He wasn't breathing, forcing Batgirl to remove her cowl and perform mouth to mouth. Tilting his head back, she could see nothing was blocking his air way and pressed her lips to his as she breathed into his lungs. Four breaths later, she pressed on his chest a few times then checked to see if he was breathing.

"Come on, Dick, breathe, please."

Repeating the lifesaving procedure, she desperately tried to bring him back to life with no success. Panic began to settle in as his face was now turning blue.

"You're not dying on me, you idiot." She then ripped his shirt open.

"Barbra," Robin said as he came up behind her.

"Shut up, Tim." Grabbing a Bat-a-rang from her back belt pouch, she unfolded it and activated a switch on its side. "Please work."

Taking the weapon, she slammed it onto Dick's chest, sending an electrical current through him. It was just enough to shock the near dead man back to life as he coughed and sucked in as much air as he could.

"Breathe, Dick, just breathe."

"Ba…Babs?" Dick's voice was horse as he continued to cough and take in air.

"Here." Giving him a water bottle, Tim helped Barbra sit him up.

"Oliver," Batman said as he helped the archer to a sitting position. "What happened up there?"

"I (cough) don't know." Every breath Oliver took had a wheeze to it. "We were attacked but the sensors didn't pick anything up until it was too late. (cough, cough, hack) "Fa…Fate and Hal tried to block the missiles first, but they still got through."

"Was that the cause of the explosion?" Tim asked.

"No," Dick answered after a coughing fit. "There were some sort of creatures. Red eyes and sharp claws."

"They came in by Boom Tube." Oliver continued. "An army of them. We tried to fight back as best we could and request backup but they took out Red Tornado first."

"RT!" Dick yelled as he searched the area. "I had RT's head with me when I went into the Zeta Tube."

"He'll have video of what we encountered. He saw everything and see if those things caused the explosion."

"How would creatures cause the Watchtower to explode?" Barbra asked. "Were they strapped with explosives?"

"They were the explosives."

"Bruce," Tim broke in. "Scans show Red Tornado's head is at the bottom of the cave underwater. I could have it up here in twenty."

"Do it." Bruce ordered. "You two, locate the others, I'll take the Batshuttle and meet up with the other-"

"Wait, you mean the others didn't make it here?" Dick asked.

"They took the Zeta Tubes too?" Barbra asked.

"They were our only option. There were just so many of those things around and Dinah ordered us to head to the Bioship but-"

"Dinah!" Oliver said as he tried to stand. "Where…where is she?"

"You were the only two we have come across down here," Batman told him. "Barbra, check the data on the tubes, see where the others may have ended up."

"Already did," Tim explained as he readied himself to dive into the water of the cave. He had pulled a mask specifically made to enhance underwater vision from his belt and a re-breather while also retracting his cape. "Data logs are fried after Bart went through but I couldn't find where he ended up."

"If our Zeta platform is any indication, they all may be damaged." Helping Dick to his feet, Barbra brought him over to a chair beside the Batcomputer.

"Thanks for saving my life, Babs," Dick weakly said. "I owe you one."

"Don't scare me like that again," Barbra sternly told him. Before she knew what she was doing, she planted a firm kiss on his lips. "Cause next time, I just may kill you myself."

Earth's Orbit

January 1, 01:42 UTC

Since their arrival, the members of the League capable of flying in space searched the wreckage of Watchtower. Glass, concrete, steel, and plastic littered the area with electrical wires floating freely as well. While the assembly area of the base was destroyed, the majority of it was still intact. The labs, hanger, forest room, and various other sections were still there, albeit damaged from the explosion.

"Nothing in my sector," Icon radioed the others as he searched the farthest reaches of the debris field. "Moving on."

"I haven't found anyone either," Rocket radioed from inside the station. "John, find anything?"

"Nothing yet," Green Lantern John Stewart answered as he searched the lab area. "Heading to the hanger."

"Roger that, I'm making my way to the training quarters."

As the two searched the interior of the station, they found themselves running out of hope of finding any survivors. Nothing but debris from the assembly room and damaged components filled the hallways. A few of Nightwing's Bird-a-rangs were found along with bolts from Green Arrow. Pieces of clothing, some stained with blood, were found caught on pieces of glass, making the two even more fearful of not finding anyone.

Outside overlooking the destruction, Superman used his infrared vision to search what he had already gone through himself. Green Lantern Guy Gardner was shifting through twisted pieces of metal, putting them in a pile with his ring in case any of the League or team members were encased inside. All this time searching was draining on all of them as the thought of friends lost forever loomed over them heavily.

"Batman to League members, come in." Piloting his Batshuttle, Batman came to a stop as those performing the search flew over to him.

"Batman, have you heard anything from Earth? Did any make it out?" asked Guy.

"Only two that we know of plus Red Tornado, but a third one has been found." Pressing a few buttons on his craft's control board, The Dark Knight opened the loading doors in the back of the shuttle for Guy, Icon, and Superman to board.

"Who are they?" Superman asked.

Standing from his chair, Batman actually dropped his usual scowl and actually looked exhausted. "Dick and Oliver were in the cave when I arrived to prepare to join you. The head of Red Tornado is being recovered as we speak. As for the third, I recently got word from the UN-League line on the ISS finding Hal's body. He's alive, but injured. I have already dispatched Captain Marvel and Starfire to check on him."

"Batman," Icon said. "How many are we still missing? Before I came up here I tried to contact the other League members but was not met with any success."

"Eighteen in all were in Watchtower when it blew." The news stunned those present. "Of the missing are Doctor Fate, Static, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Beast Boy, Lagoon Boy, Zatanna, Kid Flash, Blue Beetle, Miss Martian, Wolf, Wonder Girl, Sphere," he then turned to Superman. "And Superboy."

Looking down, The Man of Steel felt as if a part of himself was now missing. "Kon-El."

"Hey, guys," Rocket spoke over her radio. "I just found something you should definably look over."

"What did you find, Raquel," Icon asked.

"Exactly, **what** **did** I find?"

The group inside the shuttle looked questioningly at each other.


	42. Chapter 42

2.

Star Labs – Star City

January 1, 09:01 UTC

"Get this thing in Lab Seven," Atom ordered as he and a few other Star Lab scientists raced alongside a torso of one of the creatures recovered from space.

"What is this thing?" one of the lab workers questioned as the gurney they were escorting entered the indicated lab.

"That's what we're going to find out." Coming out of the surgery prep room, Karen, or Bumblebee, was now dressed in scrubs as she pulled a table of surgical tools with her. "Okay, I need everyone not cleared for autopsy screenings to get out of here. Keep as much of the creature's…leftovers intact as possible and lower the blast shields for a level five chemical explosion. We got work to do people so let's get to it."

Batcave

January 1, 09:16 UTC

"What exactly are we looking at?" Clark asked as he, Bruce, and Diana focused on the screen of the Batcomputer, which connected them to the lab the creature was taken to.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Bruce said as he drank some coffee. It looks similar to the creatures at Cadmus.

Both Heroes were dressed down to a white shirt each but maintained their uniform bottoms. Of the entire League, only Clark and Diana were allowed in the cave, only when Bruce was there of course. Currently, Diana was busy trying to locate her student, Cassie, but was not having any luck. Understandably, Cassie's mother was going out of her mind, the same was true for the family and loved ones of the other missing heroes.

"Dick's doing better," Barbra said as she exited the medical section of the cave. "I gave him some pain killers and he's sleeping. Oliver's doing fine despite having a few major sprains and severe back spasms. Anything on the others?"

"Unfortunately, no," Diana said. "We know they are not in space but can't find them on Earth either."

"How many Zeta tubes are there?" Tim asked as he worked on getting Red Tornado up and running again. Travel through the damaged Zeta Beams in his already damaged state served to nearly fry his CPU circuitry completely.

"Two hundred forty seven planet side," Bruce answered. "With one located on Mars near their capitol. No one has arrived there since the explosion, meaning we can rule an off planet teleport as a possibility.

"Wait, aren't supposed to have a Zeta wave shield keeping travel restricted to our planet?"

"Yes, but the fact we can traverse to and from Mars as well as Watchtower, and Rhan for League business means it is not restricted to being blocked for just that purpose."

"Then why don't we just use that technology to block Boom Tubes? Keep them from appearing on Earth."

"Tim, Zeta and Boom waves differ drastically," Diana explained. "Zeta Beams use two fixed points to transport us where we need to travel, Boom Tubes do not. Strange attempted to find a way to block them but they are too randomized to narrow down."

"Batman, are you seeing this?" Atom asked as he separated two pieces of tissue within the creature he was helping to dissect. "It appears there are two, no, three membranes in the rear of the torso."

"Ugh, stinks too." Holding a thin piece of slimy pinkish-gray tissue away from where Atom was prodding, Karen tried to pin the piece back while fighting the urge to throw up.

"Okay, it looks like I can cut one of the membranes out." Carefully, the shrinkable League member sliced through several veins and tendons holding the membrane in place. Once removed, it was placed in a metal bowl before Atom turned back to cut out the second one.

"Karen," Barbra spoke into an intercom beside the leader of the Bats. "Is there any way to find out what's in those sacks?"

"I can have one of our assistants take a look at them. Our luck, they'll be asexual baby sacks they throw up to reproduce with."

"Girl, I know you did not just say throw up and reference Tremors two to me."

"As a matter of fact, I did."

"Well, I don't think that's what they are," Atom said as he took out the last of the three membranes. "Because this one smells like magnesium."

"Magnesium?" Clark said. "Are you sure?"

Carefully, Atom sliced into the membrane and confirmed what he had suspected. "Absolutely sure but, it looks like they liquefied the magnesium and…feed it out through a large vein."

"If you like that, you're gonna love this." Bringing another metal bowl to the League member, Karen dipped a small ladle-like tool into the second membrane she cut into. "This look familiar to you?"

"Let me see that." Bringing the scoop closer to him, Atom inspected the substance and pulled out a small hand-held magnifying scope. The small machine zoomed in on the liquid Karen scooped out and scanned what it was. In a few seconds the results came back, labeling it as thermite, only in liquid form. "This is impossible. This creature carried liquid versions of thermite and magnesium in two separate sacks."

"Sir," one of the assistance said. "This second membrane looks to be a mixing chamber of some sort but it also has several additional tennis ball sized membranes inside."

"They look similar to that of a pentatomidae," Atom said after a quick look.

"You mean like a stink bug?" Karen asked.

"Precisely. It appears two arteries connect to the other two membranes where they join chemicals and-"

"Explode." Taking the group by surprise, Red Tornado's head was activated and he finished what the assistant was describing.

After a recap of what has happened in the last several hours, the group hooked up the android's head to the Batcomputer where his internal memory banks replayed the events leading up to the evacuation of Watchtower.

"I had decided to join the others in the assembly area," Red Tornado began. "It was several minutes until midnight and the others were getting ready to celebrate the New Year. Upon my arrival, everything was as normal as one could imagine with no major crimes or attacks occurring, which is strange considering the relative quietness that has been occurring for the past several days; however, I had the emergency alert systems directly wired to my CPU should anything happen while I was away from my post."

"Were the others all present at the same time?" Bruce asked.

"Yes. Every one remaining was accounted for. Once the time turned to zero hours UTC time, those present began to celebrate with toasts, cheers, and in the case of those with significant others, embraces, although human customs still elude me as to why they would act in such a manor."

"So everything was kosher," Tim commented. "When exactly did everything go wrong?"

"At approximately twenty three point two seconds after midnight, the motion sensors picked up on a group of incoming objects, which were revealed as missiles when Superboy and myself zeroed in on them. They were not picked up by traditional radar, heat sensors, or any other form of detection Watchtower had until it was too late. Doctor Fate was the first to respond with Green Lantern Hal Jordan providing back up; however, the missiles avoided Fate's defenses and upon closer inspection from the playback, some even flew through his shielding as well."

Sure enough, the video playback on the screen showed the group what Red Tornado spoke about.

"The resulting explosion at Hal's barrier made way for the last of the missiles to strike the station, creating minimal light to medium damage. When another barrage came our way, a series of Boom Tubes opened up in the room and dozens upon dozens of the creatures Miss Beecher and Doctor Palmer are currently examining arrived through. We were forced into combat with a great deal of them swarming me and tearing my body apart. From what I could see, given my vantage point, the team and League members fought back as best they could."

"Were any lost or injured?" Diana asked. "Were any captured or…or…"

"From my position, Green Arrow and Kid Flash were the first ones to be injured. Black Canary had taken control of the situation and tried to direct the others to where they needed to go and what they needed to do. She looked to have been fending off the creatures quite well with Nightwing, Miss Martian, and Sphere until even more arrived. I could see Wonder Girl being surrounded and piled upon when Blue Beetle aided her. He was then attacked and taken out of my view just as Superboy, La'gaan, and Zatanna suffered injuries."

"How could they injure Conner?" Tim asked. "He-"

"-Was attacked buy one of the creatures directly and suffered multiple gashes to his abdomen."

"Clark, if they can hurt Kon-El," Diana began to say.

"I did not detect the use of Kryptonite but I overheard Zatanna state she could sense a low level of magic being present in the creatures.

"Magic can hurt me," Clark confirmed. "It's not widely known but…I had told him to be careful if and when he came up against those with magic." Swallowing a lump in his throat, Clark ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily.

"I know how you feel," Diana told him. "It feels as if we failed them all."

"What can you tell us about the explosion and those still missing?" Bruce asked.

"The creatures seemed to come to a stop at the urging of one and gathered on the glass separating the interior of the station from space. They fluttered their wings before turning white and exploding, yet they did not cause the explosion you have described to me. By this time, the team and League members were attempting to flee using the Zeta Tubes with Hal Jordan trying to hold off the impending vacuum of space. Kid Flash was caught in an explosion and disappeared into one of the tubes with his time machine. Zatanna, Black Canary, Green Arrow, and Nightwing took different tubes as Sphere was lost to the vacuum of space. Wonder Girl, Wolf and Blue Beetle were rushing to the nearest platforms as more of the creatures appeared. The last I saw before leaving with Nightwing was Beast Boy tumbling to the damaged window as Miss Martian attempted to catch him."

"But the station was still intact when you left," Diana pointed out. "What caused the Watchtower to be partly destroyed?"

"Upon my arrival in the cave, I landed several yards from the Zeta Tube area as Green Arrow came through afterwards. Nightwing was thrown out a few seconds later and hit harder than Green Arrow did. His collision with me was enough to send me over the edge and into the cave's water system below. It was on my way down when the command to partially destroy the station was given by Hal Jordan before I fell into the water. It is his actions that saved the majority of Watchtower."

"And it's because of that he's in a medical induced coma." Leaning back in his chair, Bruce rubbed his tired eyes then looked at the others. "As of right now, we are on a retrieval mission, not rescue. There is no reason to believe any of the team is in space except for Sphere and she has shown she is capable of finding her way back to us."

"So what do you want us to do?" Karen asked over the link to the cave.

"We look for them," Clark said. "We narrow down the possibilities by traveling in teams of two and travel through every Zeta station and searching around it."

"That would work except most of the Zeta Tubes are down," Bruce told him. "The resulting explosion knocked out a great deal of them and need time to reset. While I get a few of the League working on getting them back up, I need to stress our first and primary goal is to find Doctor Fate and or Zatanna. They can find the others quickly. Sphere, if found or when she comes back, can only guide us to Superboy and is a secondary objective. In the meantime we have to keep the possibility of missing or deceased League members do not exist while also keeping the knowledge of the black ops team out of the public eye, despite what has been reviled to the public already."

"Well, wherever they may be," Diana said as she folded her arms over her chest. "I just hope they are safe and together."

Gotham City

January 1, 10:01 UTC

Inside an abandoned theatre, amid a leaky roof, three of the black ops team members and one League member rested in a darkened storage room. An old medical kit rested on a rotting crate that once stored ten pound sacks of popcorn with bloody rags created from old usher uniforms lying nearby. Sitting on a covered cart carrying several chairs meant to be bolted to the floor of one of the twenty theater rooms was a passed out La'gaan. He was bleeding from an injury to his right side from the shrapnel flying through the air after Conner kept him from being sucked into space.

Virgil had his knee bandaged with a makeshift splint keeping it still. A Trail of dried blood was on his chin, an injury from taking a boot from one of the creatures shortly after being chop blocked while making a run to help Bart.

Nearby on another cart lay Zatanna. She was also unconscious with a bad cut to her head. A stiff tan tarp covered her to keep her as warm as possible with a clear plastic sheet positioned over a hole in the wall to help keep out the rain.

Across from the three was Jaime. He was sitting with his legs close to his chest as he stared at the injured heroes. Arriving in Gotham a few hours ago with no way to contact the League or any of his friends, he found himself and the others in an alley once he came too. With no knowledge of where he was, his only resort was to hide and tend to the others. La'gaan looked the worse of the two and he couldn't get Zatanna to wake up, since he knew a person with a concussion should never fall asleep, but she just wouldn't wake up. As for his scarab, it seemed unable to determine its position, a result from traveling through the damaged Zeta Tube.

Hiding was all he could come up with at the moment as the world was still unsure about him due to his role with The Reach attempting to take over the Earth. He just needed to bide his time for the moment and look over the others with him.

Tower of Fate

January 1, 10:01 UTC

In a last ditch effort to rid himself of the creatures trying to bring about his end, Doctor Fate transported himself back to his tower. The creatures followed him but were soon dispatched by the tower's defenses. Now, only one remained at Doctor Fate's orders, his supreme magic bringing about answers he fully intended to gain from the last creature before exterminating it just like the rest.

Dakota City

January 1, 10:15 UTC

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Standing up from tending to Dinah Queen, Jinx zipped up a medical pouch she obtained from a storage locker inside one of Green Arrow's hidden bunkers and joined her three teammates. She was now in her mission gear, a pair of tight, black leather pants with an ultra-short matching skirt with a purple boarder on the bottom. Her knee high boots were adorned with sharpened steel points on her toes. A predominantly black leather top covered all but her shoulders with purple embroidery stitched around her wrists, top, and corset-like laced up front. Her belt was off one hip, carrying several pouches with various tools for her field work. "I mean, the League is looking for us and if they find out we were here-"

"The League won't do squat," Arsenal told her. He too wore is mission gear, which was the same red and black outfit he wore when he was still with the black ops team. The only difference was the added layers of boy armor he now wore. "The League and their sidekicks only care about themselves, no one else. Aside from that, Black Canary's fine."

"She sure is," Red X commented from his position at the computer terminal across the room. He had a cable plugged into the hard drive and was close to completely downloading the information they needed into his wrist computer.

"Will you quit hitting on the unconscious woman?" Jinx asked.

"Uncontrollable habit. Besides, if I didn't hit on or comment on every hot chick I saw, people might get the wrong impression about me."

"Fangirls rejoice, Red X loves the women." Rolling her eyes, Jinx hopped up on a table and proceeded to perform a perfect handstand flip.

"Got that tracer on her?" Red Hood asked as he twirled two of his pistols.

"On her earrings," Jinx informed him.

"Good." Holstering his weapons, the red helmeted anti-hero reached in his coat pocket to retrieve a small gray, egg shaped object and pushed the top of it. The little device flashed a ring of red every few seconds as he tossed it on the ground as the others joined him, their work now done. "Time to go. The League will find the tracer in no time with her still sleeping. Blind luck lead us to find Canary, we'll need their computer network to find the others."

"But why help them?" Arsenal asked. "Aren't we supposed to be thorns in their sides?"

"Actually, I want to be the splinter that has dug itself under their skin. Much, much harder to get rid of."


	43. Chapter 43

3.

Gotham City

January 1, 10:27 UTC

With the rain continuing to pour, Jaime and the others were forced to stay in the dilapidated theatre. He was grateful it was raining and not snowing, something that would make their current situation even harder than it was. Although they were inside, it was still cold with the damaged walls allowing the cold, wet wind in.

La'gaan had woken up first, surprised to find a makeshift bandage of rags and duct tape covering his side. The Mexican teen had to catch him up on the situation while getting his scarab to respond to his orders, apparently whatever happened to it was more severe than he thought. He could hear the device's voice as if it were speaking through static and was muffled. He found it ironic how just several months ago he was hoping and praying the blue alien tech would shut up and now, he only wished he could hear it's monotonous voice.

"So what do we do now?" La'gaan asked as he changed his bloody bandages. He was actually impressed Jaime was able to stich up the gash underneath.

"What can we do? I don't even know where we're at. We could be in another country besides America for all we know and Virgil and Zatanna are still unconscious."

"Did you try waking them again?"

"Hey, you try waking someone from a coma or whatever she's in, it's not easy. And Virgil's been mumbling in his sleep." Kneeling beside the female magician, Jaime moved a few strands of hair from her face and looked over the cut in her hairline. "I just hope she didn't get a concussion when she landed. People aren't supposed to fall asleep if they have one."

A few moments passed with nothing but the sound of the rain filling the room. The weather hadn't changed since they arrived in the city and Jaime drug his comrades out of the rain. The sky still looked as if it wouldn't change from its gray coloring.

"You know what I would do?" Lagaan asked. "If I were leader, I would send out a scout to see where we were, see if the place looks familiar instead of just sitting and twiddling my thumbs."

"And what would happen if the locals are unfriendly? Because of The Reach using me as a human meat puppet, I can't simply walk out in the middle of the street and shout I need help without looking like I'm trying to take over the world again. And what if the injured were discovered and taken prisoner or needed even more medical attention because they suddenly took a turn for the worse without being able to go for help? My call, _ese_, I made it."

"Still, we should know where we're at."

Taking a seat on a folding chair he found, Jaime looked at the Atlantian straight in the eye. "Then tell me something, can you move? Can you walk without my help? Or can you just lean against the wall there and try to bear through the pain?"

Giving a glare, La'gaan went back to taping a clean set of rags over his side. "Fine, you win. But we still need to try to contact someone. My phone's fried I don't have any money for a payphone, if they're still around."

"And my cell's trashed. Without the Zeta Tubes up and running, we're pretty much on our own." Looking at the sleeping Zatanna and Virgil, Jaime let out a heavy breath. "But I see what you mean. I'll give them another hour. If I can't wake them by then or my scarab's not online, I sneak around and see if I can get some help from the League or any of the team. It's just right now, getting you three to some kind of shelter and stopping your bleeding was the first priority."

"Maybe you'll get lucky and find some spare change and a working payphone." La'gaan grinned as Jaime did the same. "Wait, do you know their numbers or did you just use speed dial? Cause I only used speed dial."

The two stared at each other for a moment as the curse of speed dial hit them. "…Oh crap."

Metropolis

January 1, 11:10 UTC

"Martha, get me another cold wash cloth, will you? And some water, he's finally waking up."

Sitting on a futon in the middle of a large living room, Jonathan Kent looked over the body of Martian Manhunter. The large green alien, in his true Martian form, lay on both the sofa and love seat to accommodate his body. Both pieces of furniture had to be pushed together to provide him a place to sleep as the elderly couple watched over him.

"Here, John," Martha said as she brought another cold cloth. "And here's a water bottle with a straw."

Taking the blue washcloth, Jonathan placed it over the Martian's forehead as he stirred and moaned. Slowly, he opened his eyes and instantly sat up, knocking the bottle from Jonathan's grip as he did so.

"Whoa, whoa there, big fella. Take it easy, you're with friends," Jonathan held his hands up and approached him slowly. "Remember us? Clark's parents?"

Looking from the man to the woman, J'onn let out something of a soft coo before reverting back to his human appearance. His large exposed brain shrank, as was his limbs and body with his green skin becoming that of an African American's. His skin also molded to become clothing, a pair of slacks and a light blue button up shirt. Once he could pass for a human, he rubbed is head and groaned from slight pain. "I…I am sorry Mister Kent, Mrs. Kent. I did not know where I was or what had…happened for a brief moment."

"It's okay," Martha told him. "We can explain all we know as we wait for Clark to get here."

"And where is here?"

"Metropolis, J'onn," Jonathan told him. "Do you remember anything? We woke up this morning to find out your space station exploded and worried about you all. Were you caught in it?"

Scooting to the edge of the couch as Jonathan pulled the love seat away, J'onn again rubbed his head. "Fortunately, I was not. Unfortunately, there was an attack that caught us of guard. Creatures, like a swarm of locusts attacked unmercifully. The last I can remember was seeing my niece attempt to pull Garfield back from going into space before blacking out. How did I end up here?"

"Jonathan and I found you," Martha explained as she brought another serving of water. This one was in a tall tumbler with a straw poking through the lid in case it was dropped like the last one. "We were on our way to eat at that bistro Clark has always told us about and there you were, laying on the ground in the trash."

"Fortunately the kid before us thought you were an old Halloween decoration we were throwing away," Jonathan chuckled. "Too bad for him he won't find you when he and his little friends get back to take you home. It was heck getting you out of the trash bin and into the elevator without anyone catching us, but that electric pallet jack those movers left unattended helped out."

"My apologies for being so much trouble," J'onn said.

"No apologies or thanks necessary. You're Clark's friend and help him, so we're happy to help you. Although next time, can you please land in Clark's apartment and not the parking garage?"

"John!" Martha scolded."

"What?" her husband and oddly enough, J'onn answered.

"Not you, J'onn, I meant John Kent."

Bringing a stop to the discussion, Superman knocked on the sliding door leading from the balcony to the apartment's living area. Martha quickly let him in as she gave him a hug and explained what had happened with Jonathan giving him a welcome handshake and hug as well.

"J'onn, are you injured?" Superman asked as he kneeled beside the disguised Martian.

"I do not think so," the Martian answered. "All of my limbs seem fine and bodily functions feel normal."

"You don't feel nauseated by any chance, do you?"

"Not at all, but please, tell me, Clark, where are the others? Where is my niece, M'gann and her brother, Garfield? Did she save him?"

Looking away, Superman let out a pent up breath. "J'onn, you were the only one who came through the Zeta Tube in Metropolis. Nightwing, Red Tornado, and Green Arrow were found in the Batcave and we found Black Canary in Dakota City around ten minutes ago. Green Lantern Hal was in the International Space Station. You are the sixth one out of eighteen we found who were in Watchtower before it blew."

"M'gann, Garfield." Putting his head down, the Martian man literally turned white from worry. His skin then turned back to its dark coloring after a minute.

"We will find the others," Clark reassured him. "None were found in space or the station. None wound up on Mars. All the Zeta platforms are down for the time being so it's only a question of where they are here on Earth. Right now, we just need to regroup at a central location and take it from there."

"Clark, if you could have only seen those creatures, what they did, how they acted. I only hope to Mars our own have not been taken prisoner by them."

"So do I, J'onn. So do I. But we will get them back. There's no question about that. M'gann, Garfield, Bart, Conner, the rest, we'll get them all back."

Gotham City

January 1, 11:32 UTC

"Tell me again," Roy Harper said as he held his daughter's diaper bag. "Why are we here to see your sister instead of searching for the others?"

"Because," Jade Nguyen Harper said as she patted her daughter on the back to burp her while sitting on the couch. "Artemis is pregnant and freaking out about her missing friends. We're here for support and to help my mother until the situation is resolved."

"Then why did she throw Lian's dirty diaper at my head? Fully loaded dirty diaper."

"Because you mentioned her stretch marks. You deserved it." Hearing little Lian give a burp, Jade smiled warmly as she sat her on her lap. "Good girl. Soon, I'll have you learning to sneak out of your crib to irritate daddy. Yes I will."

"Do that and I'll make sure she learns to use a bow before she can walk," Roy said with a sneer.

"Bring a bow anywhere near her, and I'll marry you all over again. You think the first time was bad? Just you wait."

"Separated is not divorced, Jade."

"And flirting if not helping!" Artemis shouted from the kitchen. "Come on, someone's gotta know something."

Flipping through an address book with phone in hand, the pregnant archer was going out of her mind calling everyone she knew. She marked on a separate sheet of paper everyone who didn't answer their phone as she went through the list the first time. Had her cell phone not be lying in a plastic bag full of rice to dry out, a mishap involving her trying to get up off the couch after having her feet soak in a tub of warm water, the process of dialing would be a lot easier and faster.

"Artemis," Paula said from her spot beside the recliner. "I got a hold of your friend Robin. He said they found Black Canary and already have her in a hospital. Superman also has Martian Manhunter and is flying back to Washington before joining the others at the United Nations building." Even though Paula was a reformed criminal, she still had no idea of the League or team's identities.

"Okay, that makes six down, ten to go plus Wolf and Sphere." Artemis marked a line through the name of the newest one to be found. "I'm going to call M'gann again then Zatanna then-"

"You should really settle down sister," Jade commented. "Stress is not good for you or the baby."

"Have your friends missing or dead and see how well you act!"

"Watch the air for another dirty diaper," Roy muttered as he took Lian who cooed in his arms when at knock occurred at the door. "I'll get it."

It wasn't like Roy to freeze up. It wasn't like Roy to be speechless. It wasn't like Roy's voiced to become trapped in his throat, but it did. On the other side of the door stood Jaime Reyes with a half standing Zatanna leaning on him. Dried blood, most of it wiped off, was on the side of her head as she looked around with a dazed look to her. Slightly behind them, La'gaan stooped over dressed in a cloak made from one of the great tarps from the theater with Virgil leaning on him.

The four looked to have crawled out of an auto wreak with the way they looked. It was obvious they all were in pain with the Atlantian looking a lot less green than he usually did.

"Rrrr…Roy…Red Arrow…" huffed Jaime while repositioning Zatanna. "We need help."


	44. Chapter 44

4.

New York City

January 2, 09:02 UTC

Inside the United Nations building, located on neutral land in the United States, members from all represented countries met and were seated at their reserved places in an emergency meeting dealing on the crisis at hand with the Justice League. Row after row of seats for the delegates circled the wide open floor with the blue United Nations symbol embossed on the tile with the major members of the Justice League waiting patiently for the meeting to begin. To them, it felt as if they were on trial all over again with the only difference being they were on Earth this time.

"We are now ready to discuss the matter concerning the Justice League and the event which happened on January first, last night," the lead delegate stated. "Between the hours of zero hundred and one hundred, the space station, which was until recently unknown to us, the Justice League occupied named The Watchtower was destroyed. Since yesterday morning, debris from the station has been floating in Earth's orbit and has begun to fall planet side. At this time, there have been no reports of debris actually making it to Earth as it has all burned up in the atmosphere. Today, we invite the Justice League to UN headquarters to explain themselves at this time, pertaining to their overall objectives, secrecy of their space station, and a rumored team of teenagers who are aligned with them. The floor will be open to questions from the world country's leaders. We will start with the reason for having such a base of operations while also keeping it a secret from the United Nations you have always said you work with."

Stepping forward, Superman stood before the group of men. Behind him were Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter who was still trying to recuperate from yesterday. "Representatives of the world's nations, as you know, The Justice League that you know now was once known as the Justice Society of America. They, the founders, joined forces to safeguard the world from any threat no one hero could handle. Together, they brought numerous villains to justice and prevented time and time again mass amounts of chaos and destruction. If you remember, they operated from the Hall of Justice, a building we informed you all of working from ourselves. Since it is so publicly known, we needed another base of operations and moved our headquarters to Mount Justice. Upon its discovery by our rouges gallery, we then had to find another base, a base we could keep secret from not only our enemies, but the public as well. Myself, Martian Manhunter, Batman, and several others worked to build it in secret, always keeping it out of view from the International Space Station and any and all satellites."

"So are you telling us you deemed it necessary to lie to us so you may protect yourselves, even though you have powers and abilities putting you on another level above the average man?" Canada's representative asked. "To us and millions of people across the world, the Justice League seems to have been acting like an overzealous big brother."

Others in the room clapped at Canada's point.

"That is not what we meant," Superman said in defense. "We needed a place to operate from without the danger of being discovered and attacked by our enemies, who also could find out who we really are if they are successful. Yes, we stated we moved our headquarters back to the Hall. Yes, we kept Watchtower hidden from the public until The Reach told you about it. No, we never spied on the people we protect. The other reason for our creation of Watchtower was for quick deployments to hot zones, be they natural or un-natural as well as-"

"Mister Superman," France's representative interrupted, "we do not need a long, drawn out explanation that beats around the bush. We need a direct answer."

"If you would allow me."

Taking Superman's place, Wonder Woman stepped up and addressed the room. "What Superman is trying to have you understand is, we needed a place to ensure we could operate without the interference of others. We also were able to respond to emergencies faster because of Watchtower and prevented a number of others from happening altogether. That is what Watchtower was built for."

"If that is true," England's representative said, "than why keep it a secret from us at the UN? We should have known about it from the moment it was conceptualized."

"The reason for all the secrecy," Batman said, "was to keep other governments from attempting to take control of an organization that needs to remain free in order to operate successfully."

The entire room it seemed to groan at The Dark Knight's words.

"We have been working diligently in protecting the world from the moment the League was created. It is something that has shown to be beneficial to all mankind given we are free of any input from nations with different views on how we should or should not operate. In order to do what we do, we cannot have conflicting rules from countries such as the U.S., Russia, Britain, and others to interfere with our jobs."

"What about this team of teenagers you have working for you?" the translator for Japan asked. "Is it true you use children to carry out jobs for you?"

"No," Batman strongly said. "We do not involve children in our battles."

"_Batman_," Martian Manunter said via the mind link he had set up. "_You know they will bring up Ro_-"

"_I know_," Batman replied. "_But we have to keep the black ops team out of the public eye at all costs. This is one of the reasons they were created, in case we were forced into a corner and can't operate as usual_."

"I have a question," came a familiar voice from the back of the room. "G, Gordon Godfry, GNN News. How is it we are to believe any words you say? You have admitted you have lied to us all these years by saying you kept your station a secret and have now just admitted you want no government restraints to keep you in check. In case no one's been keeping score, that would add up to anarchy."

"That is not what we want," objected Martian Manhunter.

"And who are you to speak here?" asked Russia's representative. "You are not from Earth, you are from Mars and Mars has no jurisdiction or standing with the United Nations."

"As the representative of Egypt,' another man said as he slammed is fist on the desk before him, "I demand the Martian not be permitted in being here."

"Martian Manhunter has every right to be here," Flash stated. "He's one of us, a part of the League and has saved countless lives here on Earth, including those in Egypt a time or two."

"My kingdom of Atlantis is not part of the United Nations," Aquaman stated, "and yet you men are the first to point out the want for us to join your existing countries based on who's we are closest to or decide who to align ourselves with to have us choose sides. Am I not welcome as well"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen. Of course you are all welcome here, Martian and Earthling alike. The United Nations is just that, a uniting of nations. We are here to discuss the Watchtower and how you choose to operate." Only one man's voice was capable of making the present League members freeze and sneer, Lex Luthor. "Now, let's discuss what the League really does, what do you say?"

Batcave

January 2, 13:46 UTC

Sitting in front of the Batcomputer, Barbra, in her gym clothes, rubbed her tired eyes as she monitored both the United Nation meeting in progress as it was being televised and the live feed from the lab Karen and Atom were dissecting the strange creature. She had rarely left her post with Tim taking her place when she had to take care of personal business or take a quick catnap. As it was, she was running on fumes but didn't want to admit it to anyone else.

"Hey," came Dick's voice from her right.

"Dick!" she jumped up from her seat and hurried over to hug him, which was a mistake given her legs were in the tingly state of sleep and stung with every step she took. "How are you doing?"

"Better than yesterday, and last night." It was a few hours after he had his near death episode when he began breathing erratically. He was never known to have asthma but sounded like he was having an asthma attack around three in the morning. A quick breathing treatment was all it took for him to get over it and bring Barbra's panic level down.

"Are you sure you should be walking around?"

"Don't worry about me, Babs. I just need to know who else made it. Any word from the others?"

"None. Bruce and Clark took Diana, Orin, Barry, and J'onn to the UN and have been talking to them since nine this morning. I've been keeping the emergency line open for any more of the missing team but no one else has patched through since Artemis."

"Artemis?" Dick asked as he took a seat beside the Batcomputer. "Who did she find? In fact, how did she find anyone?"

Sitting beside him, Barbra grabbed a clip board and handed it to him. "Jaime, helped Zatanna to her mother's apartment with La'gaan and Virgil. So far there's still eight missing."

Looking over the written data, Dick read off the names and injuries. "BC with light cuts and bruising, J'onn with slight disorientation, Zatanna had a slight concussion, La'gaan had a gash to his abdomen, and Virgil has a hairline fracture."

"Thanks to Paula and oddly enough, Jade, La'gaan was treated until we got to him and took over. Miracle of superglue."

"Jaime wasn't injured, Hal was knocked unconscious, and Ollie had a few bumps, and I still don't know why all this happened."

"And that's not the worst part." Upping the volume on the screen, Barbra zoomed in on the picture inside the UN. "Remember Godfry? It wasn't enough he was convincing the Earth's populace to trust The Reach until the last when he turned on them, but he's been going on and on about how people shouldn't trust the League, and they're actually believing him. Virtually all the UN representatives are drilling our heavy hitters on everything from the purpose of having an orbiting space base, to information we may be gathering on them. And it doesn't stop there."

"So what's the bad news?" Dick asked as he reached for a water bottle in a cooler Barbra had sat nearby. The ice was nearly completely melted by this point but the liquid refreshment was still cold.

"We had Karen and Dr. Palmer study one of the creatures retrieved from Watchtower."

"You mean you found one? I thought they all blew themselves up when they tried to take out the glass."

"Not all. They found half of one left down one of the hallways."

"What did they find out about it? Did they say why they were self-destructing or even what they are?"

"You can ask the lab techs at Star Labs that yourself. But as for what they are, it all goes back to Cadmus."

Dick grew silent as he lowered the water bottle from is lips. He remembered the moment he, Wally, and Kaldur found the living weapons the scientists were creating in secret. It hadn't dawned on him the creatures which attacked them at Cadmus and the ones who attacked Watchtower looked similar until Barbra mentioned that name just now.

"We now know what those creatures, the Genomorphs, were really meant for. The one Raquel pulled from the Watchtower was nearly identical to the ones you reported responsible for providing power to the underground labs. They're doing more research into the creature and the shared similarities it has with the Genomorphs. Kaldur has already been dispatched to investigate the old Cadmus labs and what happened with the Genomorphs after Lex discovered their hidden city."

"How long as he been-"

"Don't even think about it, Grayson. He's got a team with him. Mal Duncan and Billy Baston."

"But they haven't been down there before. I have. I should be down there with them looking for-"

"So help me, if you do not sit down in that chair right this instant I will deliver a roundhouse kick to your head so fast, the next time you'll wake up will be when your forty, bald, and nearsighted. Capiche?"

Sitting back in his chair slowly, Dick resumed drinking his water bottle. He remembered the last time he received a kick to the head from the female bat. He actually never saw it coming. "Capiche."

Cadmus Labs

January 2, twenty five minutes ago.

Inside a dark office, the same office the three founders of the black ops team journeyed into that fateful night over five years ago, three young heroes searched through drawers and cabinets full of papers. Nothing useful could be found, leaving them to abandon the idea of finding what they were looking for easily. Like always, it was just their luck they had to go searching for the information themselves with no answers being available to them in the office.

"Captain, Guardian, our search for answers will not be found here, only progress reports and schedules for the workers," Aqualad said as he made his way to the center of the room. "We should move on to the underground floors."

"But are you sure we can go waltzing around here?" Captain Marvel asked. "I mean, they probably are keeping a close eye on us."

"Not to mention if there's something they don't want us to find, chances are it'll be guarded pretty heavily," Guardian commented.

"I have already taken that into account," the Atlantian leader said as he led them out the door. "On our first unofficial mission as a team, Robin, Kid Flash, and I had the cover of a fire providing us with the ability to sneak around." He looked out of the corners of is eyes to see one of many security cameras keeping his group in their sights. "This time, I have made it perfectly clear we are here on League business. Should anyone interfere, they are to be ignored as we press on."

"And what if things get,,,rocky?" Guardian asked as they entered an elevator. "What if they decide to push us away from anything?"

"Then we shove back." The elevator doors closed as thy descended the fifty odd floors down to where they first encountered the Genomorphs.

**AN: In case anyone is wondering about the superglue part, it really does work to seal up gashes (Firsthand experience right here, I am a country boy after all.) but don't go out and try it. It's really a last resort type of thing to do if the bleeding can't be stopped, just like burning the wound shut with a hot piece of metal (Friend had that done, now he has a cool scar in the shape of a fireplace poker). If at all possible, use a bandage, cloth and duct tape, or needle and thread to close wounds if you can't get professional help.**

**Okay, that's it for the Public Announcement, catch ya next time.**


	45. Chapter 45

5.

Cadmus – Underground

January 2, 13:49

Billy Baston had seen a lot of things normal people would never see on a day to day basis. Wizards casting spells to twist reality, aliens of every size and shape attempting to conquer Earth, beings from other worlds, clones, robots, and incomprehensible things that would cause a person to instantly go insane from the sheer sight of them. The underground caverns of Cadmus were just another thing added to the list.

For what he could guess, miles of hidden tunnels stretched in all directions, providing them with a labyrinth to search for clues. He was grateful Aqualad had intel on the place since he was one of the few from the team to have ever stepped foot within the caverns as it was extremely easy to get lost in the identical passageways until they entered the area once known as Genomorph city.

Neither Guardian or Captain Marvel had seen anything like it except on TV when documentaries on caves were broadcasted. With it being so dark, Guardian couldn't shake the feeling something was watching them from the shadows and they would end up meals for some blind, carnivores creatures from 'The Descent'. He cursed the team for making him sit through that movie.

"So, where are all the Genomorphs?" Captain Marvel asked as they searched the empty cavern. "I thought we would at least get to see some."

"According to Superboy when he was down here last," Aqualad began, "Lex Luthor gave him a tracking device he was not aware of and followed him to the missing Genomorphs. It was here where they were attempting to build a city for themselves to not be slaves to Cadmus. They were discovered and moved back to the main tunnels. I am afraid we will find nothing here except-"

"A skeleton?" On Guardian's words, Aqualad and Captain Marvel turned to where the third incarnation of the armored hero stood.

Between two stalagmites lay a skeleton of a small Genomorph, about the size of a pug. It lay sprawled out as if it were attempting to run for its life.

"Hey, I see another one," Captain Marvel said. "And another. Make that three, no, seven more."

Hurrying to where the Captain stood, Aqualad and Guardian were taken back by the number of skeletons lying on the ground. Some were small like the first one they came across while others were around human height. In the far corner where they looked, a large skull belonging to the massive, troll-like Genomorphs lay on its side.

"What on Earth happened here?" Guardian asked. "It looks like-"

"A massacre." Aqualad stood just to the side of the rotting bones and could see a large number of the creatures. It was impossible to tell how many there were without searching and counting skulls.

"More than a massacre, I'm afraid." Surprising the three, a slender figure made its way from the darkness. As it drew near, it became visible enough to see a pair of horns protruding from its head and a ragged lab coat clinging to a bony, pale blue body.

"Who are you?" Aqualad questioned. "What are you?"

Stopping where they could barely see it, the being's horns flashed a dull red. "I take it my ap…appearance that I… I look worse than I fe…feel. I am Doub…Doub…Dou…ble…ilex." He then collapsed to the ground.

"Guardian, keep watch, Captain, clear a space, please. He is on our side." Remembering the name but not the appearance, as it was completely different from the G-Goblin's previous form, Aqualad hurriedly, yet carefully, helped the leader of the Genomorph resistance to a bolder Captain Marvel had cleared off. "What has happened to you? What has happened to all of you?"

Barely able to breathe, the Genomorph tried to speak. "Months…month…s…ago…Luthor and Doctor Amanda Spence brought us all down here. We…we were forced to go ba…back to our original lives…experiments for Cad…Cadmus. He…he promised us a new life. A life we could continue…down here, when the portals opened."

"Portals?" Aqualad asked.

"Yes. They appeared out of nowhere. Women, women with powers and ter…terrible weapons attacked us. One was like Su…Superman…blonde…had all his powers. She and the others killed many of my kind...killed all of the…G-nomes. A man…a deformed man in a purple cloak came through next. He said he…he was the one who made us. He was the one who provided Cadmus with what they needed to create Ge…Geno…morphs to begin with. We fought back as best we could. But it was ju…just too much for us."

"If this happened a months ago," Guardian said as he did a visual sweep over the area, "then how are you still here?"

"I survived…off of the moss and insects growing down here. I drank from the Stalactites, which dripped water. We Genomorphs were crea…ted to survive many environments but…we are still…living beings."

"Aqualad," Captain Marvel whispered. "He's not going to-"

"I know Captain," the Atlantian leader softly said. "I know."

"They too…ook the Genomorphs they had deemed worthy. They were going to experiment on them. Make them cap…capable of surviving any environment. I hid. I hid so I could escape and tell the others…tell our brother, Project Kr about what happ…happened here. But they would not let any survivors out alive. Out of all of us, only three…three were left alive."

"What happened to the other two?" Aqualad asked.

"One succumbed to their wounds. The other…died from star…starvation. The G-Trolls need mass…massive quantities of food and there just wasn't enough."

Watching the fading G-goblin, Aqualad took out one of his water bearers and offered him a drink. Doubleilex drank a few sips from the goblet the Atlantian created then leaned back. "I wanted so much more for my kind…to be able to walk on the surface and be treated equally. Tell Kr to…to live for us…and to watch out for the…the one they re…referr…erred to as…his…do…doo…msssd…aaaayyyyyyy…"

Slowly, the dull glowing of the G-goblin's horns faded as did the light in his eyes. His body went limp as his head turned to the side. Laying him down gently, Aqualad closed his eyes and stood back. He felt sorry for the creatures he had once fought against as they never knew what it was like to be free, a right every living being, animal, human, or otherwise had all rights to be.

"Now we know why Cadmus created the Genomorphs," Aqualad said just loud enough for the other two to hear. "We were allowed down here most likely on the thought we would not find anything or any survivors."

"So now what do we do?' Guardian asked. "This place is just one large coffin for who knows how many of these Genomorphs. And who knows what the others will be turned into."

"It has to be the ones responsible for the attack on the Watchtower," Captain Marvel commented. "If there are four types of Genomorphs and the smaller ones were all killed then we still have to potentially face modified large and human sized ones, and who knows what those are capable of."

"You think this is what Conner was created for? To lead an army of these creatures against the League?"

"I do not know, Guardian," Aqualad said as he stood. "He was created to take Superman's place or kill him so I do not think he would be responsible for leading an army such as this."

Looking around, Aqualad sheathed his water bearer in his pack and turned to the others. "We found what we needed. We are to report back to the others on this and resume searching for our missing team members. Cadmus will be dealt with at a later time, but for now, finding out what our enemies are doing and where they will strike next come first."

Batcave

January 2, 14:01 UTC

"This is just impossible," Barbra stated as she and Dick tried to understand what Doctor Palmer, Atom, had just told them. "How could that be possible?"

"Think of it as an ant," Doctor Palmer began. "An ant needs to have several things in order to survive with one of them being the requirement of an active queen. Should the queen die, the ant dies. These creatures are like ants in a way. They seem to go about taking orders from a higher source, hence, the near non-existent brain. From what we found, they have several senses similar to us, which are sight, hearing, and smell. They seem to have no way of feeling pain as we have yet to find anything in the form of nerves."

"But how do they operate?" Dick asked. "With a brain that small and simplistic, they should be basically useless."

"Remember, an ant has several smaller brains throughout its body. They are only for movement. Now with this peach pit sized brain in the creature, it looks to act like a receiver for messages, which it then carries out. It's sort of like the old saying about a person only having room for one thought at a time. I would go so far as to say these things are like soldiers bread for causing suicidal destruction where they are deployed."

"That would explain why they acted as a single force instead of individuals." Leaning back, Dick crossed his arms and remembered how the creatures acted from one moment to the other when an 'Breaking News' banner flashed on the screen with the UN meeting the League members were at.

"At this time, I would wish to thank everyone here on attending this emergency meeting on such short notice," Lex Luthor began. "After hearing the members of the Justice League and taking into account all they have done for humanity, as well as what the thoughts of the citizens of the world, we have reached a conclusion that we, as true unified nations feel comfortable with."

Focusing on the men and woman standing I the middle of the room, Lex pulled out several sheets of paper. "As stated, the need for constant surveillance is strictly frowned upon by the world's population. How can they truly feel safe knowing their every move and conversation is being monitored twenty-four-seven? As the cities, states, countries, and other forms of government know, constant surveillance goes against every man, woman, and child's God given right to have privacy in their lives. By United States standards, this is not only unconstitutional, but unlawful. With this, is the question of vigilantism. Should we depend on others beside our police force, firefighters, and EMTs to help us when we are in need? The answer should be a resonating, no. We as a people have never asked for a super man to save us and most certainly never sought aid from a wonder woman. Our police force had never asked for the greatest detective in the world to help solve cases. And we have never turned to others, foreign or domestic to empower or aid us. However, we as a people welcome those who wish to share their talents with us, and as such, have come up with a solution."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Dick said as Lex stood up at his podium.

"Members of the Justice League, members of the United Nations, people of the world. We offer anyone who wishes to help benefit mankind, and womankind," that part was said to get under Wonder Woman's skin, "to work with the United Nations. As those who wish to protect the good people of Earth from all harm, we will not stand in your way, if you work with the United Nations."

Superman sneered, Batman's eyes narrowed, Wonder Woman clinched her fists, Aquaman closed his eyes and sighed heavily, Flash crossed his arms, and Martian Manhunter lowered his head.

"Should the Justice League, and subsequently any team under their charge, wish to carry on further duties they deem we as a people cannot handle, they must become part of the United Nations, work with us, abide by our rules, and answer for their actions should they cross the line. They would be under the world's jurisdiction and be responsible for any and all damage they cause. As for their identities, they will be kept secret and known to only the highest of government officials."

"And if we refuse?" Batman asked.

"Then we would have no choice but to request you stop all activities of vigilantism. That or be arrested."

"They…they can't be serious." Barbra said.

"But they are," Dick told her.

"The time for masks, capes, and tights is over," Lex said smugly from his spot. "In order to have a world we can all live in equally, we cannot have a set of rules for us while others with godlike powers do as they please. All we ask is for you to work with the system, nothing more, nothing less. A bill will drawn up within the following months, so if everyone would, please, have a very happy new year." Lex's snake-like smile as like a nail being driven into a a coffin with the every League member inside.

"We are in so much trouble." Pinching the bridge of his nose, Dick sank in his chair.

"That's it," Barbra said just as numbly. "That's the end of the Justice League and black ops team."

"Not necessarily," Came a booming voice from behind them.

A bright yellow and white light appeared where the parking area was with Doctor Fate stepping out from it. "Fate will once again intervene."

**AN: Alright, for those keeping count, the appearance of Doctor Fate leaves only seven missing team members. But where are they? Did they end up in different places? Are they somewhere in a group? Who knows? I do! Stay tuned.**


End file.
